LAS VEGAS ? Abner Mares was crushed when his dream of winning an Olympic medal was dashed by what he still believes was a poor decision in the opening round of the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece.
He was angry, disappointed, upset. He felt robbed.
He?d worked nearly his entire young life to build to that one moment and it was over before it ever really started. He lost to Hungary?s Zsolt Bedak in the opening round of those Games and carried the loss with him for days.
Four years later, he was again crushed. He had begun a successful professional career and was being touted as one of the sport?s leading young prospects when he learned he had a detached retina and that his fledgling boxing career might be over before it ever really got into gear.
