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 Mares
Darchinyan-Mares, Agbeko-Perez tonight in Bantamweight tournament
By Jim Dower: Later on tonight, four of the six best bantamweights will take part in Showtimes’s bantamweight tournament at the Emerald Queen Casino, in Tacoma, Washington. Vic Darchinyan will be facing Abner Mares, and Joseph Agbeko will take on Yonnhy Perez in what promises to be action packed bouts. The problem is that the two best bantamweights – Fernando Montiel and Nonito Donaire – won’t be taking part in the tournament, and that really hurts the tourney.
Action packed Mares vs Perez ends in a majority draw
By Sam Gregory: The co-main event of tonight’s May 22nd edition of Showtime Championship Boxing features undefeated IBF bantamweight champion Yonnhy Perez 20-0 with 14 KO’s who is defending his title for the first time against another unbeaten bantamweight Abner Mares 20-0 with 13 KO’s in a scheduled 12 round bout in the bantamweight division.
Mares Destroys Fulgencio
By Jim Dower: Unbeaten bantamweight contender Abner Mares (19-0, 12 KO’s) put together an outstanding performance last night in taking out Carlos Fulgencio (11-3-1, 7 KO’s) in the 6th round of a scheduled eight round bout at the Club Nokia, in Los Angeles, California. Mares, 23, a former 2004 Olympian, dropped Fulgencio with a hard left hook to the liver in the 6th round, sending Fulgencio down on the canvas in pain.
Abregu Destroys Davis in 1st round TKO
By Aaron Klein: Undefeated welterweight contender Luis Carlos Abregu (23-0, 20 KOs) made easy work of Thomas Davis (12-8-2, 7 KOs) in a 2nd round TKO of a scheduled 10-round bout on Wednesday night at the Sycuan Resort & Casino, in El Cajon, California. Abregu, from Argentina and ranked #15 in the WBC, flattened Davis in the 1st and 2nd rounds. After the knockdown in the second, the fight was stopped by Davis’ corner because he was having problems with his left eye, causing him to rub it constantly and squint out of it as if he had injured it.
Abregu, from Argentina, used power punching to give Davis, 36, problems in the first round, backing him up with a high number of big hooks to the body and head. Davis, who is known mostly for his surprise 1st round TKO of then light welterweight prospect Kendall Holt in 2004, started out jabbing in the opening round, trying to keep his distance from Abregu as much as possible. It worked for about a minute until Abregu caught up with Davis and nailed him with a huge right uppercut, sending him to the canvas.
Abner Mares Decisions Jonathan Arias
By Jason Kim: Undefeated bantamweight contender Abner Mares (17-0, 10 KOs) continued with his upward climb in the bantamweight division with an impressive 10-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Arias (13-2, 6 KOs) on Friday night at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, in Cabazon, California. The final judges’ scores were 98-91, 99-89 and 99-89. Mares, 22, a 2004 representative at the 2004 Olympics in Athens for Mexico, dominated every round of the fight and had little problem with slower, weaker-punching Aries. There were no knockdowns in the fight, although Mares had Aries in big trouble in the final 30 seconds of the 10th and final round, staggering him badly and battering him nonstop until the final bell.
The fight perhaps should have been stopped after Mares initially tagged Aries with a huge fight hand that almost decapitated him, sending him flying backwards into the ropes. Aries, however, stood up well under the huge onslaught from Mares, who drove the staggering Aries from one side of the ring to the other. The referee, however, seemed inclined to let the two fight it out until the end of the fight and not take away the small chance that Aries could survive. As it turns out, he made it but he took an awful beating from Mares in the process.
Mares Destroys Gabi In 2nd Round TKO
By Nate Anderson: Undefeated bantamweight contender Abner Mares (16-0, 10 KOs) destroyed an overmatched Diosdado Gabi (30-4-1, 21 KOs) in the 2nd round of a scheduled 12-round bout for the WBO NABO bantamweight title on Saturday night at the
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mares, 22, knocked Gabi down twice in the second round, prompting for referee Jay Nady to stop the one-sided slaughter at 0:49 of the 2nd round moments after Gabi had been knocked down for the second time in the round.
The first round was reasonably close, as Gabi looked impressive throwing combinations to the head and body of Mares. However, near the end of the first round, Mares, ranked #3 in the WBO bantamweight division, staggered Gabi with a right hand. In fact, it was the first right that Mares had thrown in the fight, and Gabi seemed not to ready for it after Mares had started so slowly. Mares landed a brief flurry before the bell, but didn’t have enough time to attempt to finish him off.
Mares Defeats Garcia!
2004 Olympian and amateur standout, bantamweight boxing prospect Abner Mares (14-0, 9 KOs) defeated tough Mexican veteran Ididro Garcia (24-4-2, 8 KOs) in the seventh round on Friday night at the Desert Diamond Casino, in Tucson, Arizona, when Garcia, 31, failed to come out for the 8th due an eye injury he had sustained during the fight. In the early rounds, Mares and Garcia took turns landing power shots with Mares coming out slightly ahead. However, as the fight progressed, Mares pulled away from Garcia, largely due to the power in his right hand which began to swell Garcia’s right by the 5th round.
Mares, 21, ranked #14 in the WBA, picked up the vacant NABF bantamweight title along the way in defeating Garcia. Considered to be a can’t miss future star, Mares was put in with a very tough fighter despite this being only his 14th professional bout in his career. It harkens back to the old days, when young fighters where frequently placed up against tough veterans in an effort to teach them skills faster and to toughen them up. Frequently, this backfire, causing the young fighter to be ruined, a reason that it’s rarely done now a days. However, it’s interesting that Mares’ management feel comfortable placing him in against Garcia, a former WBO flyweight champion in 2000.