By Mark Eisner: Chris Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs) called out Leo Santa Cruz following the … read more
By Kirk Jackson: Leo Santa Cruz proved many nay-sayers wrong, improving his record to 31-0-1 (17 KO’s) after defeating former three division world champion Abner Mares via majority decision.
Serving as the headliner of an action packed card for the Premier Boxing Champions brand on the ESPN network, the main event did not disappoint, although the more eye appeasing fights transpired earlier in the evening.
By Gerardo Granados: Do the readers think that you need to bench press +330 pounds and to look like a body builder to knock your opponent out; or if you need to use all those expensive gym equipment to be fit and strong? Is it that a lanky body type of boxer like welter Tommy Hearns or featherweight Salvador Sanchez had serious punching power or do they needed to look ripped like Tim Bradley to hit hard?
Abner Mares looked jacked up at the weigh-in last Friday, and as usual some casual fans like a friend of mine thought that Leo Santa Cruz was in trouble for their fight last Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
By Dan Ambrose: Despite taking a frightful beating last Saturday night to unbeaten former two division world champion Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs) in losing a 12 round majority decision, 29-year-old Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) says he’s willing to get back inside the ring to face the likes of Santa Cruz again, or WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko or former WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters. It depends on who his adviser Al Haymon wants Mares to fight.
Mares lost the fight to Santa Cruz by the scores of 114-114, 117-111 and 117-111. Mares was fortunate that the scores of the fight was even that close because you can argue that Mares should have lost by a wider set of scores.
By Tim Fletcher: For boxing fans who didn’t get a chance to see the war between Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 18 KOs) and Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) last Saturday night, the Mares-Santa Cruz fight will be on replay this Tuesday, September 1st on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The fight was shown on Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN last Saturday night in what many fans believe could be the Fight of the Year. It’s certainly the best fight that I’ve seen this year up to this point. For a fight that was shown on free television, this was a great deal.
by Michael Montero – A crowd of 13,109 packed the Staples Center on a hot summer night in Los Angeles to see the highly anticipated featherweight clash between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares. The fight headlined a very entertaining PBC on ESPN card and would more than live up to its “Battle of LA” billing. Mares entered the ring first to a mixture of boos and cheers. Santa Cruz made his ring walk next and it was clear that the crowd was on his side, probably 3 to 1. The tension was thick as referee Jack Reiss gave the fighters their final instructions and they touched gloves. It was an electric atmosphere and the noise ringside was deafening as the opening bell sounded.
By The Sandman: Last Saturday night at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California, Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KO’s) came out victorious in winning a 12 round majority decision in his fight against Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KO’s). Many fans and boxing analysts felt Santa Cruz’s recent level of competition had not prepared Santa Cruz for a match up with Mares. However, Santa Cruz demonstrated intelligence, patience, and skills that were not needed in his previous fights.
Boxing Fans had not seen the 27-year-old Santa Cruz face adversity until the first round of Saturday’s fight with Mares. Before the opening bell, Mares seemed settled on the idea that he would take the fight to Santa Cruz and also had the demeanor of a confident fighter.
By Dan Ambrose: After having come up empty in his war with Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs) last Saturday night, 29-year-old Aber Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) is complaining that he should have been given the win in their fight at the Staples Center in Carson, California.
Mares thought he had done enough to get the nod from the three judges who had been assigned to the fight, but unfortunately for him they saw the 27-year-old Santa Cruz as the winner by a 12 round majority decision by the scores of 114-114, 117-111, and 117-111. Mares had to settle for being the whiner instead of the winner. I’m just saying.
In a battle of Southern California featherweights, Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz, (31-0-1, 17 KOs) defeated Abner Mares, (29-2-1, 15 KOs) by majority decision in a fight reminiscent of Mexican wars between boxing legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales on Saturday night. Scores tallied 117-111 twice and 114-114 in front of a raucous crowd of 13,109 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles for the Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN main event.
With savage uppercuts and brutal power shots from the opening bell, the combatants threw more than 2,000 punches combined with Santa Cruz connecting 35 percent of his total 1,050 punches and Mares connecting 23 percent of his 980 total punches.
By Dan Ambrose: Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs) will be putting his unbeaten record on the line tonight against former three division world belt holder Abner Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs) for the WBA Super World featherweight and vacant WBC Diamond featherweight titles on Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The fight starts at 10:00 p.m. ET. Both guys are trying to do something with their careers because they stopped facing quality opposition 2 years ago and have been just languishing in fighting 2nd tier opposition.