Secure TV spots against made-to-order competition. Scam your way towards a title shot. Continue to nibble around the edges while holding out for a jackpot fight.
That?s the way it?s done these days, particularly with the next generation of fighters, who seem to be moving along at a snails pace.
Abner Mares could?ve hid behind his promotional banner, and accepted a string of televised appearances against no-hopers and faded former champs and contenders while once again waiting his turn in line.
He could?ve kicked and screamed about the draw verdict he received in his first title shot – one where most felt he deserved the nod ? and filed a protest for a rematch or come up with some absurd loophole to force a title vacancy.
Instead, the former amateur standout and currently undefeated bantamweight contender travels the absolute toughest road back to title contention. Not because his hand is forced, mind you. Quite the opposite, in fact ? it?s the road he prefers to travel.
?(Golden Boy CEO) Richard Schaefer told me had news,? Mares recalls of the day he was offered what will now serve as his next ring appearance. ?We briefly talked about it, and I said, ?Let?s do it.??
December 11 marks the first night in which Mares has his chance to ?do it,? as he is slated to face lineal super flyweight king Vic Darchinyan in the opening round of Showtime?s highly anticipated bantamweight tournament.
The bout ? which is packaged with a bantamweight title fight rematch between Yonnhy Perez and Joseph King Kong Agbeko – will air live from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington. The winners of each bout will then square off sometime in 2011, with the last man standing pleading a heck of a case for himself as the best bantamweight in the world.
Mares (20-0-1, 13KO) could?ve taken the high road and already boasted such status on the strength of his majority decision draw against Perez this past May. Many in attendance believed that the 2004 Mexican Olympic boxer should?ve received the nod, but only one of the three ringside judges fell in line with that theory.
The fight was close enough to where Mares isn?t bitter about the outcome, especially since it came against a longtime friend like Perez. But that hasn?t stopped him from believing he?s an uncrowned champion, or that he is capable of beating any fighter in or near the 118 lb. limit.
Such confidence is why he never hesitated to accept an invitation to the four-man tournament, even with the knowledge that no matter who he drew in the opening round, it would serve as his second straight tough fight, at least on paper.
In fact, the level of competition that he is currently facing is one that he prefers from here on out. No soft touches, no build-up or rehab fights. Five years into his pro career, he?s ready to prove his mettle, not to mention appreciative of being held in such high regard.
?I?m really privileged to be part of this tournament. I?ve never been a part of anything like it as a pro and wish they would do this more often. I?m proud to be fighting Darchinyan.?
In Darchinyan, Mares faces his most seasoned opponent to date, one who is just a couple of years removed from a career-resurrecting campaign in which he unified the 115 lb. titles in emphatic fashion. There is no belt at stake for their December 11 fight, although the winner is guaranteed a shot against the last man standing in the Perez-Agbeko rematch.
The preference would?ve been an immediate rematch with Perez ? and their first fight was that good to where a return go is warranted ? but Mares has no qualms with rolling up his sleeves and actually working for a second chance at a first impression.
?We?re here to fight. It was a tough fight against Yonnhy, but we have to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us. Vic is a tough opponent but you have to beat the best in order to become the best.?
Some will argue that the actual best of the division isn?t even involved in the tournament, as Fernando Montiel and Nonito Donaire both ? through promoter Bob Arum – declined invitations to the dance. They will instead face each other next February, perhaps a month or two before this tournament reaches its finals.
Whether or not the winners are steered towards one another remains to be seen. But that?s not something with which Mares plans to concern himself. Too much of his career has already been spent pondering ?What If,? hence the healthy upgrade in competition this year.
It was a frustrating ride prior to 2010 for Mares, who was always long on praise and potential, but through the early years short on results. Most of the slowed progress came with nursing an assortment of injuries (eyes, appendicitis), though also not helping matters was last year?s public split with top trainer Nacho Beristain.
The move led him to the Espinoza Boxing Club, where the Mexican-born prodigy ? who now calls Southern California home ? still trains and proudly represents to this day.
One constant in his career has been his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions. Depending on whom you ask, they are either the absolute best promotional outfit in the sport in terms of taking care of their fighters; or the biggest bully in the sport today, one who hijacks fighters, gobbles up every available TV date, and is incapable of building a fighter from the ground up.
Mares has every intention of personally disproving the latter theory.
?Our relationship has been great since day one,? insists Mares, who has been with Golden Boy since his pro debut nearly six years ago. ?They?ve always been there for me inside and outside the ring. They live up to their word. With other promoters, they just want to make money off of you. Golden Boy truly looks out for their fighters.
?If everything works out, I?ll be their first champion from scratch. They?ve always been for me and that is how I plan to repay them.?
The first hint of Mares? potential at the top level came in his debut on cable giant HBO, impressing his largest viewing audience to that point with a 12-round whitewash of Damian David Marchiano.
Four months later ? this time in the pay-per-view televised opener beneath Manny Pacquiao?s rematch win over Juan Manuel Marquez ? Mares wowed ?em again with a two-round blitzing of former title challenger Diosdado Gabi.
For those keeping score at home, that?s six rounds earlier than it took Darchinyan just two years prior.
Injuries and change in training camps slowed Mares? progress, to where there was concern over whether Perez was too far a leap in class when they met earlier this year.
Mares proved them wrong, coming as close to winning the fight without actually having his hand raised, in a bout that managed to steal the show from the main event. Quite a statement since it starred Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez, whose epic three-fight series (prior to their fourth fight that night, of course) helped bring a sizeable audience for what would serve as Mares? breakthrough performance.
A more definitive outcome could?ve hailed the evening as a passing of the torch. Instead, Mares accepts the fate that came of his 12-round thriller and is anxious to prove that his A-level performance was no fluke, but instead a sign of bigger and better things to come.
?I accept the decision,? Mares now contends. ?I believe that everything happens for a reason. If I won, Yonnhy might not be part of this tournament. He struggled a lot to get where he is. I hope to face him again if we both win our fights.?
Perez already owns scoreboard over Agbeko, albeit in a close fight more than a year ago. Still, it?s less difficult to envision a scenario where the tireless Colombian advances to the finals.
On the other hand, there is far greater speculation in Mares? assignment. To his credit, he knows not to take anything for granted, and is making all of the necessary adjustments to ensure that the biggest name ? and arguably best fighter ? he?s ever faced ultimately results in his biggest win to date.
?The difference for this fight is just fighting style. He has an awkward style, though the southpaw part alone is awkward enough. I?ve only faced one southpaw, so it makes it different. We?ve been sparring with Giovani Segura, Daniel Ponce de Leon and different kids from the gym.
?Having two champs definitely helps when preparing for a great fighter like Vic.?
Such awareness only strengthens his chances of becoming a great fighter for which the rest of the sport needs to prepare. The greatest satisfaction in reaching such heights comes with the knowledge that he will have earned such accolades rather than demand they are bestowed upon him.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at [email protected] .
