Featherweights Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares have both been in exciting fights and won world titles in multiple divisions — two for Santa Cruz, three for Mares — but lately they have taken an onslaught of criticism from fight fans for their very soft recent opposition.
That figures to change dramatically because, after much fan demand, the two Mexico-born, Southern California-based fighters will square off in a much-anticipated fight that will headline a Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN card on Aug. 29 (10 p.m. ET) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
A free fan rally and news conference to hype the scheduled 12-round bout will be held Tuesday at Plaza Mexico in Los Angeles beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
“I’m really excited for this fight,” said Mares, who has won world titles at bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight. “It’s a fight the fans have been asking for, and I’m ready to give them what they want: a great show and a great victory.”
Santa Cruz, a former bantamweight titleholder and a reigning junior featherweight titlist, fought his last bout at featherweight to get his feet wet in the division in anticipation of the showdown with Mares.
He knocked out Jose Cayetano, a last-minute journeyman opponent, in the third round on May 2 on the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao undercard. It was yet another soft-touch opponent for Santa Cruz, who was criticized by fans for the match — even though it is manager Al Haymon who is responsible for picking the opponents.
“This fight means so much to me because I know it is what the fans have been waiting for,” Santa Cruz said. “The opportunity to fight at Staples Center against a Mexican warrior and great fighter in Abner Mares is one that I plan on taking very seriously.”
Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs), 26, who has conceded to being stung by the fierce fan criticism, likely will vacate his junior featherweight title soon. He will leave behind the junior featherweight division without ever facing champion Guillermo Rigondeaux or titleholders Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg in unification matches. But he said Mares was the opponent he has been hoping to face for quite some time.
“We have been preparing for this moment for a very long time, and I’m so glad it’s finally here,” Santa Cruz said. “A win is going to take one of us to the next level.”
Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs), 29, has faced similar criticism about the caliber of his recent opponents — three walkovers — since he was starched in the first round and lost his featherweight world title to Jhonny Gonzalez in a major upset in August 2013.
But Mares has faced overall excellent opposition, having won titles in three weight classes during a tremendous 21-month stretch between 2011 and 2013 in which he defeated top fighters such as Joseph Agbeko to win a bantamweight title (and again in a rematch), Eric Morel to win a junior featherweight title, long-reigning bantamweight titlist Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon to win a featherweight belt.
The big wins against Moreno and Ponce De Leon both came in Southern California, with the one against Moreno coming at Staples Center on the same card on which Santa Cruz defended his bantamweight title.
Now Santa Cruz and Mares will once again be on the same card in the same arena but finally fighting each other.
“We’re honored to bring this highly anticipated showdown between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares to the great Southern California boxing fans,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Leo and Abner have risen to the top of the sport and this much talked about battle at the Staples Center is a fight not to be missed.”
Said Mares: “L.A. is my home. I train here, grew up here and I’m ready to show this city and the world that I am the champ,” Mares said. “I’m proud to be part of this great event on ESPN at Staples Centers. Boxing is bigger than ever. Whatever you do, don’t miss this fight.”
