Abner Mares Wants The Best Bouts That 122 Has To Offer

By Keith Idec

Abner Mares’ move to 122 pounds will come against an opponent who’s also coming up from bantamweight for an opportunity to compete for a super bantamweight championship.

But if Mares (23-0-1, 13 KOs) handles former flyweight title-holder Eric Morel (46-2, 23 KOs) in the manner Mares expects Saturday night in El Paso, Texas (Showtime; 9 p.m. EDT), the undefeated fighter from Montebello, Calif., he’ll eagerly pursue the abundance of challenges that await him in his new division.

“One, twenty-two is really, really interesting right now,” Mares said. “Big names are there. I fought everybody at 118 and 122 is filled with great names. I’m just excited that I could face all of these guys back to back. I would love to. That is the reason we made the decision [to move up]. I’m blessed and thrilled that this next fight is for the vacant 122, super bantamweight title.”

The Mares-Morel match has been sanctioned for the WBC’s super bantamweight title because the Mexico City-based sanctioning organization has declared Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs) its 122-pound emeritus champion. Mares is the WBC’s top-ranked contender at 122 pounds, despite that he hasn’t fought at that weight. Morel is ranked No. 5.

Mares said, however, that he’ll gladly fight the Japanese southpaw at some point to show who’s the true WBC champion at that weight.

“I don’t really think I have to,” Mares said, “because he was the one who made the decision that he was going to be gone [from the ring] for quite some time. They offered me the opportunity to fight for that title and I’m taking it. If he decides to come back and get his belt back, I’m more than willing to fight him. Like I said, I’m ready and I’m excited to fight any of these top 122-[pound] fighters.”

When asked which 122-pound opponents he’d like to fight, the 26-year-old Mares offered an interesting list.

“I’m going to name like five and all these are just great fights, from bottom to top,” Mares said. “Look at the new WBC [silver super bantamweight] champ, which is Victor Terrazas, who beat Fernando Montiel. We’ve got Rafael Marquez. We’ve got Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. We have [Jorge] Arce and the big name out there is, no doubt, Nonito Donaire. All of those fights, if they could be made, I’m more than willing and ready for those fights.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com.