By Miguel Rivera
Former four division world champion Erik Morales is picking Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15KOs) to hand Southern California rival Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17KOs) the first defeat of his pro career.
After at least two years of anticipation, the fight is finally signed for August 29th at the Staples Center in Carson, California.
Although both fighters have been facing less than stellar opposition as of late, Morales says Mares - a former three division world champion - has a lot more experience and faced the better level of opponent.
The fight could resurrect Mares' strong standing in the featherweight division. The boxer took a hit when he suffered a first round knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez in August of 2013.
"Mares is used to fighting these kinds of opponents for a long time, and he regularly came out unscathed. Now [this fight gives him] a special motivation to get back to where he's been. He's a good fighter and he'll do what is needed for a very strong fighter like Santa Cruz," Morales told ESPN Deportes.