By Keith Idec
Abner Mares wasn’t interested in a tune-up fight.
Two postponements of his fight against Jesus Cuellar have caused a 15-month layoff for the former bantamweight and featherweight champion. Mares still never considered not facing Argentina’s Cuellar next.
Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) is a powerful southpaw, yet Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) is certain that his experience against punchers will serve him well in their “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event Saturday night at USC’s Galen Center in Los Angeles (Showtime; 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
“You guys know me, man,” Mares said Thursday during a press conference. “I’m always giving you guys good fights. I always say, ‘Win or lose, I always give you guys good fights.’ When I lose, first loss, it was a knockout. I got knocked out [by Jhonny Gonzalez in the first round]. But hey, it was exciting, right?
“Everybody was talking about it the next day. You know, it happens. I brushed it off, kept fighting, kept winning. I fought last year – I lost against Leo Santa Cruz [in August 2015]. It’s one of those fights where you don’t lose, honestly. I don’t feel any less. It was a really close fight. It could’ve gone either way. He got the win, but it’s all good.”
The Cuellar-Mares match was first supposed to take place March 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. That show, which was broadcast by CBS, was postponed 3½ months because Keith Thurman hurt his neck in a car accident late in February. The Thurman-Shawn Porter fight was rescheduled for June 25 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, as was Cuellar-Mares.
Cuellar-Mares was postponed again, though, on June 16 because the New York State Athletic Commission wouldn’t approve Mares for a license over concerns about his surgically repaired left retina.
Once promoter Richard Schaefer confirmed with Mares’ eye surgeon that he was fit to fight, the 31-year-old Downey, California, resident was scheduled to face Cuellar on Saturday night.
“Here I am, facing another tough fighter,” Mares said. “I haven’t fought in over a year, since the last fight. A lot of people [said], ‘Why did you take this fight? You could’ve taken a tune-up fight, an easier fight.’ What’s the use of that? I’m just here to fight whoever, and the best. So we chose Jesus Cuellar. Jesus Cuellar’s definitely one of the top fighters in this weight class, one of the most hard-punching fighters in this weight class, coming with 28 wins, 21 knockouts.
“You know, people ask me, ‘Are you worried about his power?’ Yeah, I’m worried. Of course. But am I scared? Nah man, it’s a contact sport. Really, I’m looking forward to testing his punch, honestly. And, you know, it’s all good. I can punch back. I hit hard, too. So I’m really, really looking forward to this test. Every single fight is a test for me. This fight, I’m gonna do good. I’m gonna graduate. I’m gonna make you guys believe. You guys know already, I’m a brawler. I like to sit in there and throw punches. But you’re gonna see a tremendous fighter come Saturday night. Fight of the Year? I hope it plays out that way. … It’s gonna be an early Christmas present for all you guys.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
