By Dan Ambrose: In a big disappointment, the scheduled June 25 fight matching former three division world champion Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) and WBA World featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) has been cancelled due to 30-year-old Mares having a medical issue that will keep him from taking the fight in the New York. According to Dan Rafael, Mares failed two New York State Athletic Commission eye exams this week.
The Cuellar vs. Mares fight was supposed to have taken place on the undercard of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. There wasn’t a great deal of hype surrounding the fight, as most of the attention was being spent on the main event between Thurman and Porter.
It’s perhaps for the best that Mares won’t be facing the 29-year-old Cuellar next because that would have been a very tough fight for Mares to try and win, and I’m not sure he would have. Cuellar is fighting at a very high level right now, and he would have had a size and power advantage over Mares.
“Sources tell me reason Cuellar-Mares was canceled is because Mares failed 2 NYSAC eye exams this week. Vision not good enough in 1 eye,” said Rafael on his Twitter.
The Argentinian Cuellar has won his last 11 fights since losing to the hard hitting Oscar Escandon (25-2, 17 KOs) by a 7th round knockout in October 2011. Escandon essentially beat Cuellar at his own game by getting in the trenches with him and out-punching him and dropping him in the 7th to get the KO.
Mares’ medical problem isn’t seen as a lift threatening issue thankfully. It’s unclear what the issue is that will keep him out of the ring. Mares hasn’t fought since losing to Leo Santa Cruz by a 12 round majority decision last year in August 2015 in a failed effort to capture the vacant WBA Super World featherweight title at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Mares gave a good effort, but he was unable to handle the jabbing and power shots of the younger Santa Cruz. Mares’ once promising career has stalled out since his 1st round knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez three years ago in August 2013. Up until that fight, Mares had seemed invincible with wins over Anselmo Moreno, Eric Morel, Joseph Agbeko, and Vic Darchinyan.
Those fights amounted to the prime of Mares’ career. Mares’ career hasn’t been the same since his loss to Jhonny Gonzalez in 2013. Mares struggled to beat Jonathan Oquendo by a 10 round decision in July 2014, and Mares then defeated two lower level fighters in Jose Ramirez and Arturo Santos Reyes before losing to Santa Cruz last year.
Without the Mares-Cuellar fight on the Thurman vs. Porter card, it leaves a big hole in the card that will be impossible to fill with the existing bouts on the card. One good thing about the card is that it’s being televised on Showtime Boxing rather than on PPV.
Here are the other fights on the undercard:
.Jarrett Hurd vs. Oscar Molina
Regis Prograis vs. Luis Florez
David Benavidez vs. Francy Ntetu
Here’s the press release on the Mares-Cuellar cancellation from Dibella Entertainment:
DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT STATEMENT REGARDING CUELLAR VS. MARES
New York, NY (6/17/16) – Regrettably, due to a medical issue that renders former three-division world champion Abner Mares presently unable to fight in New York State, the Cuellar vs. Mares fight has been cancelled and will be replaced on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, Presented by Premier Boxing Champions, telecast next Saturday, June 25. Abner’s condition is in no way life-threatening, nor was it revealed in a blood or urine test; there was no use of any drugs, including PEDs or other banned substances.
In honoring Abner’s right to medical confidentiality, no further information will be released on this situation unless he chooses.
An announcement will be forthcoming with respect to the replacement bout that will open the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, Presented by Premier Boxing Champions, broadcast.