Leo Santa Cruz: record, next fight and profile →
With a clear path to the title, Hugo Ruiz now has his sights set on its current claimant—or a pending vacancy in the event he doesn’t land his desired match. Efforts to get Ruiz to the title stage have produced bittersweet results. The hard-hitting contender from Mexico was in line to face Nonito Donaire in a title eliminator, only for the former champion and his promoter Top Rank to head in a different direction.
In the last year or so, both Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17KOs) and Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15KOs) - once fan favorites - have come under heavy criticism and scrutiny for taking on soft opposition. But rumors are circulating that they may face each other in the summer in Los Angeles. Santa Cruz, who currently holds the WBC 122-pound title, just recently faced Jose Cayetano on the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and won a rather pedestrian ten round decision in a non-title affair. Santa Cruz says he took the fight to test the featherweight division waters.
The WBC has been notified by Top Rank Promotions that Nonito Donaire will not fight against Hugo Ruiz in a bout ordered by the WBC as a final elimination to determine the mandatory contender of the super bantamweight division; consequently, Hugo Ruiz has been appointed mandatory contender to fight current WBC champion Leo Santa Cruz. There is no determination if Santa Cruz is planning to continue in the super bantamweight ranks. He recently made his featherweight debut on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao undercard, which took place on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Promociones del Pueblo did its part to line up Hugo Ruiz with a lucrative showdown versus former four-division champ Nonito Donaire. The Mexico-based promotional outfit won the right to promote the fight after submitting the highest offer during Friday's purse bid hearing in Mexico City.
Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17KOs) is looking to regain the faith of the fans, and says a fight with Southern California rival Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15KOs) is the way back. Fans have been attacked Santa Cruz for lack of top opponents in his recent ring appearances. Santa Cruz has taken part in some mismatches with Miguel Roman, Jesus Ruiz and Jose Cayetano. Mares, a former three division world champion, has been trying to rebuild himself since the knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez in August of 2013. He's won three straight since then.
Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17KOs) is looking for new challenges in the featherweight division, and another world title. Santa Cruz captured a world title at bantamweight and still holds the WBC championship at 122. Santa Cruz made his featherweight debut on the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao undercard with a ten round decision victory over Jose Cayetano. Since his victory in March over mandatory challenger Cristian Mijares, Santa Cruz has been the subject of criticism over facing when many consider to be overmatched opponents.
Three division world champion Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15KOs) is looking to return to action by mid-July and says it's very possible that he could face either Leo Santa Cruz, who just moved up 126-pounds, or WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. Mars has fought three times in the last ten months, including a ten round decision win over Arturo Reyes in March. Mares entered the Premier Boxing Champions fight with an illness. Russell (26-1) captured the WBC title in March with a fourth round destruction of Jhonny Gonzalez, who stopped Mares in one round back in August of 2013. Mares, Russell and Santa Cruz are all under contract with manager/adviser Al Haymon.
LAS VEGAS--Leo Santa Cruz won virtually every second of his featherweight debut, dominating countryman Jose Cayetano over 10 rounds Saturday evening at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Scores were 100-90 across the board in a bout that served as little more than a chance for Santa Cruz - a former titlist at bantamweight and junior featherweight - to test the featherweight waters. Cayetano put up a stiff challenge, his durable chin and natural size advantage all that he really brought to the table in his first fight outside of Mexico. Santa Cruz was unable to put a dent in his opponent's armor, though not for a lack of trying as he landed more than 400 punches in just 10 rounds of action.
The biggest fight of the 21st century is now official as far as the scales are concerned. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao both easily made weight for their highly anticipated May 2 showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather tipped the scales at a supremely conditioned 146 lbs. Pacquiao came in at a shredded 145 lbs. The bout marks a rare occasion where the two best fighters in the world square off in the ring. In such instances, it was the welterweight division that has played center stage. Talks of these two settling their differences in the ring first surfaced in 2009, when Mayweather ended a 21-month hiatus with his ring return while Pacquiao became a full-time welterweight later in the year.
The biggest fight of the 21st century is now official as far as the scales are concerned. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are set to weigh in for their highly anticipated May 2 showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout marks a rare occasion where the two best fighters in the world square off in the ring. In such instances, it was the welterweight division that has played center stage.