Abner Mares: page 27

Abner Mares: record, next fight and profile →

Leo Santa Cruz: This Is The Hardest Fight of My Career

•Aug 28, 2015

Leo Santa Cruz emerged as one of the sport's potential breakout stars beginning with his June '12 bantamweight title winning effort over Vusi Malinga. Known for his tireless workrate, the unbeaten talent from Mexico quickly rose through the ranks and emerged as a crowd favorite. The love continued as he picked up his second title a year later, knocking out Vic Terrazas in three rounds to claim the super bantamweight title. However, his career has since stagnated, with competition level dropping off considerably while his handlers sought out the best path for his future.

PBC on ESPN Weights: Mares 125.4, Santa Cruz 124.8

Jake Donovan

•Aug 28, 2015

Boxing fans and media like have eagerly awaited the long-awaited featherweight showdown between Abner Mares and Leo Santa Cruz. So, too, have the fighters themselves, as they were both already within the 126 lb. contracted weight prior to the weigh-in. The two fighters will hit the scales shortly ahead of their scheduled 12-round clash Saturday evening at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Santa Cruz: I want convincing win so there is no rematch

Thomas Gerbasi

•Aug 28, 2015

By Thomas Gerbasi - Leo Santa Cruz always seemed to be more mature than most young fighters his age, so at 27, it’s no surprise that he hasn’t let the talk of the fans and media about the level of competition he’s faced over the last couple years get to him. He’s here to fight. Let his team handle all the other business. “We’re here because of the fans, so we can’t fight with them,” he said. “We just have to be patient and smart and keep taking it fight by fight. Sooner or later, the fight is going to happen, and at the end of the day the fans are going to be happy. There’s always criticism in everything, so you have to stay calm and relaxed and try to maintain that calm.” The fight is happening. Most would say “finally,” but only because any boxing fan worth his salt has wanted to see Santa Cruz and Abner Mares in the ring. This Saturday at Staples Center, they will meet with gloves on and mouthpieces in, and that’s really all that matters right now. This isn’t a Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao situation where the fight happened after its sell-by date. The 27-year-old Santa Cruz and the 29-year-old Mares are in their prime, and given that, this might not be the last time we see them together.

Leo Santa Cruz Says Focus is To Knock Abner Mares Out

BoxingScene Staff

•Aug 28, 2015

Abner Mares believes this weekend's world title bout with fellow Mexican Leo Santa Cruz will be a modern classic. Mares (29-1-1-KO15), who lost his WBC strap to Jhonny Gonzalez via first-round knockout in August 2013, takes on his compatriot in Los Angeles with the vacant WBA Super world featherweight title on the line. He said: "It's time. It's time to give everybody a 'Fight of the Year'. There's no doubt. I'm going to go in there and have fun.

Photos: Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares Open Workouts

Boxing Photos

•Aug 27, 2015

LOS ANGELES - Boxing fans and media members gathered at Placita Olvera in Los Angeles Wednesday as fight week kicked-off for Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN headlined by Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs)taking on Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs) on Saturday, August 29 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Televised coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with a super bantamweight world title fight between Hugo Ruiz (35-2, 31 KOs)and Julio Cesar Ceja (29-1, 26 KOs). Mexican brawler and Southern California favorite Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo (23-5, 19 KOs)worked out for the fans that came out to Placita Olvera before he takes on Hector Munoz (23-15, 15 KOs) Saturday night.

Santa Cruz-Mares May Have a Potentially Divided Crowd

Jake Donovan

•Aug 27, 2015

From the moment event handlers were able to nail down a long-awaited showdown between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares, staging the fight in the Southern California area became a no-brainer. Both fighters were born and raised in Mexico, but now live and train out of the Los Angeles area. As the fight was announced to take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles (Saturday, ESPN, 10:00 p.m. ET), attention quickly turned to which way the crowd would lean, given both fighters' ties to the communities.

Photos: Santa Cruz, Mares Face To Face at Final Presser

Boxing Photos

•Aug 27, 2015

LOS ANGELES - With just days to go until their Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on ESPN showdown, Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs)and Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs)faced-off at the final press conference at Club Nokia in Los Angeles Thursday before they enter the ring at STAPLES Center on Saturday, August 29. Fighters participating on Saturday night's undercard were also in attendance at Thursday's press conference including exciting Mexican brawlers Hugo Ruiz (35-2, 31 KOs) and Julio Cesar Ceja (29-1, 26 KOs) who meet in a super bantamweight world title bout that opens the PBC on ESPN telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Joining them was undefeated Southern California prospect Alejandro Luna (18-0, 13 KOs) who also competes in undercard action, which begins in the arena at 2:05 p.m. PT Saturday.

Selby: I May Fight Mares or Santa Cruz in 12 Months

Random Hits

•Aug 27, 2015

IBF Featherweight Champion Lee Selby along with his brother Andrew and manager Chris Sanigar will fly out to Los Angeles today in order to be ringside for the highly anticipated clash between undefeated star Leo Santa Cruz and three division world champion Abner Mares. Selby will have a keen eye on both boxers Saturday night as there is the potential to face both in the near future. "Both Mares and Santa Cruz are advised by Al Haymon so I definitely think that I can fight one or both of them over the next 12 months. The fight between them will be all action as both are Mexican warriors and I'm still on the fence about who's going to win."

LIVE STREAM: Santa Cruz vs. Mares Final LA Presser

BoxingScene Staff

•Aug 27, 2015

The long-awaited showdown between undefeated two-division world champion Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs) and former three-division world champion Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs) is almost here. With their final press conference taking place today, Thursday, August 27, a live stream will be made available via satellite and online from Club Nokia at L.A. Live in Los Angeles so fans across the country can hear from the fighters and see them face-off.

Mares vs. Santa Cruz: Stop Fussing and Watch

Cliff Rold

•Aug 27, 2015

By Cliff Rold - It doesn’t take long perusing through social media to find them. Sure, there is plenty of excitement. More excitement than not. Most fans get it. Sometimes fights don’t happen at the perfect time. Sometimes, during what seems like an inevitable build, someone gets knocked off. That doesn’t make this less than a stellar Featherweight match this Saturday on Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN. Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KO) is still a titleholder at 122 lbs. He’s still undefeated. He’s still only 27. Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15 KO) is 29 and only recently went through as stiff a run of foes as anyone south of Carl Froch. It’s the fight that seemed to make the most sense once Mares walked away from a rematch with Johnny Gonzalez. It took a little longer than was ideal but we’re still getting it while both are under 30 and under dramatic pretense. We’ve got a genuine crossroads fight. Santa Cruz has been fairly criticized for not upping his competition since he’s been at Jr. Featherweight. Mares has looked a little less than his best since the Gonzalez loss. That makes this must win for both guys whether Santa Cruz ultimately returns down the scale to continue to defend his title or Mares gets himself backs towards the title picture at 126 lbs. Is Santa Cruz really a legitimate top guy? Is Mares a spent force, having taken too many tough fights from 2010-13 and now mentally weighed down by a knockout loss?