Santa Cruz vs Mares will be unfolding at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, this weekend. And folks, this one doesn’t look to disappoint. Abner Mares and Leo Santa Cruz, who hail from Mexico and fight out of California, are well known for being all-action pugilists.
If the predicted fireworks present, August 29th could well produce Premier Boxing Champion’s best headliner to date. Al Haymon and co, plus an army of Mexican fight fans in attendance, will be hoping so.
Santa Cruz is the undefeated former WBC Junior Featherweight champ, and Mares a three-weight champ who has held titles at 126, 122, and 118 pounds. No titles will be on the line when both men touch gloves. Unless you count the superfluous WBC Diamond Featherweight title, that is.
Honor and bragging rights are what’s really on the line here. Oh, and a chance to land a Featherweight mega-match with either Nicholas Walters, Vasyl Lomachenko, or Gary Russell Jr. These are big money fights, without question, and should be motivation enough for both men to bring their A-games.
Santa Cruz (29-1-1, 15 KO), our #3 Junior Featherweight, is a rangy, strong, tough-as-nails boxer-puncher. The 27-year-old may have faced somewhat weaker opposition after struggling with Cesar Seda in late 2013, but he’s proven to be a handful. His height, reach and tenacity are to thank.
In addition to defending his WBC 122 pound title four times, he also made three defenses of the IBF 118 pound title (captured back in 2012). There are a lot of detractors out there accusing Santa Cruz of being one of the most protected fighters in boxing. Another criticism is that he failed to defend his WBC 122 pound strap against fighters like Carl Frampton and Guillermo Rigondeaux before jumping up to 126.
We’re happy to let Santa Cruz answer any ‘questions’ himself on Saturday. We’ll know whether he’s the real deal soon enough.
Across the ring will be Abner Mares (30-0-1, 17 KO), a 29-year-old fighter who hasn’t been tarred with the ‘most protected’ brush. Our #4 Featherweight may have squared off with some softer opposition after being knocked out by Jhonny Gonzalez in 2013, but he was considered a front-runner talent beforehand.
It seems a fair few have written Mares off after the 1st round knockout defeat to Gonzalez. But it would seem unwise. Gonzalez has thunder in both hands, and has always had a great shot at taking out his opponents. Mares made a mistake, got caught, and his career – and confidence – took an even bigger blow. Significant wins over fighters such as Daniel Ponce De Leon (TKO 9), Anselmo Moreno (UD 12), and Joseph Agbeko (MD 12, UD 12), speak volumes of Mares’ ability level, nonetheless.
If you’re looking for a few statistics to sink your teeth into, here are a couple of eye-catchers. Santa Cruz has a 3″ reach advantage and stands 3 1/4″ taller. Our ‘Extended Tale of the Tape‘ series will be posted soon, bloated with every fact and stat surrounding Santa Cruz vs Mares. Stay tuned…
Undercard support will come in the form of Hugo Ruiz vs Julio Ceja in a Junior Featherweight 12-rounder, plus Alejandro Luna vs Yakubu Amidu in a 10 round Lightweight bout.
You can catch all the PBC on ESPN action on August 29th from 10pm ET/7 pm PT. UK fight fans can get their fill on BT Sport.
Who are you picking in Santa Cruz vs Mares?
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