LAS VEGAS – Bob Santos is in the business of building prizefighters, so it’s no coincidence that one of his star pupils, junior middleweight Isaac Lucero, embodies his primary ethos.
Lucero will return against Ismael Flores in a 10-round bout on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a bout on the undercard of David Benavidez's cruiserweight debut against unified titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. The card will feature many Mexican and Mexican-American fighters on the traditional Cinco de Mayo fight date, which Saul “Canelo” Alvarez had previously monopolized for the past decade.
Santos’ philosophy is simple: He wants to work with fighters who are motivated to lay it on the line and give fans exciting fights, thus competing for the highest purses.
“I don’t diminish or belittle being a world champion,” Santos told BoxingScene. “That said, that is not what we are about here. To us, it is about prizefighting. Prizefighting isn’t just beneficial to them – it is beneficial to the fans.”
Meet Lucero, 18-0 (14 KOs), who was recently identified by BoxingScene as one of the best Mexican fighters yet to win a title. A 27-year-old from La Paz, Mexico, Lucero is on a seven-fight knockout streak and made a bold move forward last year by stopping veterans.
For Santos, Lucero embraces the mentality he looks for in an elite fighter, and he has the style that draws people in (and the solid social media audience that often follows).
It would be a stretch at this point to compare him to boxing’s other great Mexican-born ticket sellers – Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr, Ruben Olivares and Canelo, to name a few – but the current generation of most popular Mexican fighters is starting to age out of the sport. Whether it’s Lucero or others, someone must – and will – step forward to fill that void.
Let’s look at it in tiers:
The legends: Juan Francisco Estrada (age 36), Canelo Alvarez (35), Oscar Valdez (35), Gilberto Ramirez (34), Emanuel Navarrete (31) and Luis Nery (31).
All have been at least solid main-event fighters who have carried boxing forward and held a place in the hearts of fight fans. That said, within the next decade (possibly half decade), all will have moved on.
Future legends or main-event-tier fighters: current featherweight titleholder Rafael Espinoza (32), Lindolfo Delgado (31), Oscar Duarte (30), Raul Curiel (30), Jaime Munguia (29), William Zepeda (29), Isaac Lucero (27) and Isaac Cruz (27).
These are the fighters who can still add to their legacy in the sport, while main-eventing cards for the next five years.
Notable young guns: Brandon Mosqueda (21), who won the WBC Grand Prix, and bantamweight titleholder Jose Salas (24).
With no clear signs of the next Julio Cesar Chavez Snr or Alvarez, Lucero appears to have as much of a shot as any other fighter of taking over the mantle of Mexico’s top-billed ring warrior.
“I think he is the next Mexican boxing star,” Santos said.
For this fight, Lucero will face Flores, 17-1 (12 KOs), who enters on a seven-fight win streak. A 27-year-old Argentinian fighter who resides in Barcelona, Spain, Flores will be fighting in the United States for the first time in his career. The narrative is set – not only will Flores put his winning streak up against Lucero’s knockout streak, but he has also never been stopped in his career – and the action should be riveting.
“What he is about is putting butts in seats,” Santos said of Lucero. “He brings it from the opening bell, he gives the fans what they want to see. That is what is going to grow the sport – and grow the fighter.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
