By Miguel Rivera
On June 9th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Abner Mares will get the opportunity for revenge, when he battles WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (34-1-1, 19 KOs) in a rematch.
Back at the same venue in 2015, Mares (31-2-1, 15 KOs) lost a close majority decision to Santa Cruz.
In the co-featured attraction on Showtime, WBC junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo (30-0, 15 KOs) will defend his world title against former champ Austin Trout.
The last time Mares was in the ring, was last October when he stopped Andres Gutierrez in a stay-busy fight.
Mares is now under the wing of veteran trainer Robert Garcia and he believes that he's a much different fighter from the one who lost to Santa Cruz.
"I've changed a lot, both personally and in sports. I've evolved a lot, I've grown up as a boxer under Robert Garcia. I'm already going on two years with him where I've done two fights and I think training with him has given results," Mares told The Informer.
"I think that although I fought the wrong fight, we still had a close fight three years ago. Imagine if I make the adjustments ... I think the fight would be in my favor and easier, so we will make two or three changes in the strategy: more movement, a little more angles, things like that, but at the end of the day I think the trainer is the one who carries that role, I am the student. It is a matter of paying attention to my corner and we will come out with our hands up.
"I'm not going to lie to you: I have not sat down to watch the entire fight. Mentally I remember the mistakes I made and the adjustments I have to make. The fight in which he lost against Frampton... I saw a little, but I also remember that he had a rematch and came back to win. We have boxing on our side."