By Jake Donovan
Leo Santa Cruz has caught a lot of flak for his level of competition in recent years. The letdown came after his inspiring run as an unbeaten bantamweight titlist on the rise and transitioning into one of the top super bantamweights on the planet beginning with his 3rd knockout of Victor Terrazas in Aug. ’13.
From that point onward, however, his opposition went from gradual decline to utter disappointment. Perhaps it was due in no small part to the fact that on the same night as his aforementioned win over Terrazas, Abner Mares suffered a shocking 1st round knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez.
The show was unofficially designed as means to build up a super fight between Santa Cruz and Mares – at the time an undefeated three-division champion and one of the best fighters in the world. Instead, Mares hit the comeback trail while Santa Cruz was forced to tread water while his team – which includes high-powered adviser Al Haymon – sought the best course of action for his future.
Santa Cruz and Mares will finally have their long-awaited showdown. The pair of fiery Mexican warriors will collide August 29, headlining a primetime edition of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on ESPN. The matchup – which headlines at the Staples Center in Los Angeles – is one that many feel represents the best PBC offering since launching its brand this past March.
It’s undoubtedly the biggest fight that Santa Cruz has taken on as a pro to date, enough to where it partially makes up for what fans have been forced to settle on over the past two years.
For what it’s worth, Santa Cruz himself sympathizes with those who wanted more from his career.
“I listened to the fans,” Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17KOs) admits of the past criticism. “I wish I could choose and say I can fight this guy and that guy.
“I had to learn from my team. They know (the business side) better than me so I listened. That's why we went the way we did, but I was always confident that the big fights would one day come my way.”
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com . Twitter: @JakeNDaBox