By Francisco Hernandez: Bantamweight Abner Mares is favored to win Showtime’s four-man-single elimination bantamweight tournament. Abner has already won his first fight in the tournament by taking a split decision from Vic Darchinyan.
Abner didn’t look too good in that fight, sure he pressed forward, pushing Darchinyan back, but he was taking some heavy punches, and he wasn’t able to figure out the wily Armenian’s unorthodox style, he was unable to make the needed adjustments to stop Darchinyan. Vic has gotten old, and in the bantamweight division he doesn’t have the powerful punch that he wielded in the lower division. If Abner Mares had been unlucky to face a heavy puncher that night, he would have been laid out.
This is not the first time that Abner Mares has struggled in a fight that he should have won easier. Last May Abner Mares fought Johnny Perez, a fight which resulted in a majority decision. In that fight Mares was trying to look flashy and was not able to clearly dominate a resilient Yohnny Perez. What is the problem with Abner Mares, why does such a talented fighter look like he has no resources, why can’t he figure out his recent opponents, why can’t he make the necessary adjustments to clearly dominate a fight?
The problem with Abner Mares may be his bad habit or need to change trainers like they were going out of style. Abner has gone from Floyd Mayweather senior, Nacho Beristain, and the list goes on. Abner Mares may believe this is a good thing, but his recent fights make the opposite statement. Abner Mares has the Nacho Beristain stance but doesn’t know what to do with it. Abner Mares learned some flashiness from Mayweather senior, but he doesn’t use it like Floyd Mayweather junior to outclass his opponents.
Abner Mares is a talented fighter without a defined style, and that is why he always looks like he could win his fights a lot easier but instead struggles to barely win or draw in his recent fights. It is worthless to learn all kinds of different types of fighting techniques from different trainers if you cannot synthesize them into your own personal style. It is useless to adopt the stance of Nacho Beristain and then rush into your opponent head first. Nacho Beristain’s stance is made principally for a counter puncher not a head first brawler. A flashy style is useless when you cannot create the illusion of outclassing your opponent.
Abner Mares next fight in the Showtime tournament will be against Joseph Agbeko, Abner Mares should win this fight, but he will probably struggle, because of his fickleness and lack of style. The fickle Mares should stick to one trainer; otherwise it will cost him eventually when he fights the monsters of the division in Montiel and Donaire. They will not let him get away with fighting with no style, they will make him pay.
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