Comments Thread For: Mares: Why Isn't Leo Santa Cruz Fighting Gary Russell Next?

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Leo Santa Cruz's last opponent didn't hesitate Tuesday night to question Santa Cruz's next opponent. Abner Mares embraced about as tough a fight as he could've accepted after he lost to Santa Cruz in his last outing, June 9 in Los Angeles. While the ambitious Mares is busy preparing to battle unbeaten WBA "super" 130-pound champion Gervonta Davis, Mares can't help but wonder why Santa Cruz hasn't chosen a comparable challenge.
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[ceylon mooney]

same reason he ducked the Frampton rematch in Belfast.

[The Big Dunn]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Leo/GR wasn't the semi main for Wilder/Fury in LA. Haymon should definitely put this on the Wilder/Fury 2 card if it's in Vegas.

[jdp28tx]

There are a lot of fighters now a days who cherry pick and refuse to challenge themselves. Santa Cruz by far is the worst at this when it comes to fighters under 130lbs.

[Bronx2245]

How about asking Gary Russell Jr. why he is not fighting LSC, or anybody yet? Ask him why he hasn't fought since he beat up Jo Jo Diaz in May 2018?

May 19, 2018:

Gary Russell Sr., who trains his son and celebrates his birthday on Friday, would like to see his Gary Jr. fight more frequently.

"I don't like it," Russell Sr. said of the inactivity. "I want him to fight more. Three times (per year) at least. My hands are tied. I give him advice. I advocated for more fights, it didn't happen. I really want him to fight more."

Has Russell Sr. voiced his view to his son?

"Absolutely," he said. "It gets to a point where you're beating a dead horse."

http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...jr-make-happen

[sicko]

...Where the hell is Gary Russell Jr.?

[KTFOKING]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Leo/GR wasn't the semi main for Wilder/Fury in LA. Haymon should definitely put this on the Wilder/Fury 2 card if it's in Vegas.

GRJ made over $2 million last fight against Diaz. How much do you think he would want for LSC and vice versa? They would be getting paid around $5-6 million combined. No way in hell could you put that on a UC where Wilder/Fury had such big guarantees. If it was a mega fight that would do close to or over a million buys? Absolutely, but just wasn't possible in a fight that the hope was to do anything over 300k buys.

Interesting that Mares mentioned he was offered GRJ and is pretty sure LSC was as well. But I think since GRJ only fights once a year, that is a fight they would line up in the spring/summer time.

[The Big Dunn]

GRJ made over $2 million last fight against Diaz. How much do you think he would want for LSC and vice versa? They would be getting paid around $5-6 million combined. No way in hell could you put that on a UC where Wilder/Fury had such big guarantees. If it was a mega fight that would do close to or over a million buys? Absolutely, but just wasn't possible in a fight that the hope was to do anything over 300k buys.

Interesting that Mares mentioned he was offered GRJ and is pretty sure LSC was as well. But I think since GRJ only fights once a year, that is a fight they would line up in the spring/summer time.

What he wants and what he'd get are 2 different things. You can make the fight a headline of SHO championship boxing or a Fox card, but I think it would be better to have it as a semi main on a major PPV.

You make a fair point about wilder/fury 1 but the rematch is expected to do more so maybe they can do it.

No reason they haven't fought yet.

[NearHypnos]

Abner just mad because he’s been losing big fights and needs to stay relevant with a hail mary win over tank but really he’s going to be severely outsized and high light reeled.

This is the guy who avoided Rigo AND Donaire at 122 (leo did too though) and legit ran out of the division.


Does GRJ even fight still though? I’ll never understand the guy’s career moves

[KTFOKING]

What he wants and what he'd get are 2 different things. You can make the fight a headline of SHO championship boxing or a Fox card, but I think it would be better to have it as a semi main on a major PPV.

You make a fair point about wilder/fury 1 but the rematch is expected to do more so maybe they can do it.

No reason they haven't fought yet.

Yeah, better chance it happens as the co-main for the rematch over the first fight. The rematch to me does between 700k-1M buys. So in that case both main eventers will be paid HUGE bucks while still leaving some for the co-main fighters. But remember as Espinoza said, the better the co-main fight is, it usually comes out of the pockets of the main event fighters as they will be receiving less as a result of that.

I don't mind it happening as a co-main to Wilder/Fury rematch, but I think better chance it happens on SHO.