It’s the home of wars from Rios-Alvarado I to Bradley-Provodnikov, The Stub Hub center, which may make some fans testy as they feel that it will always be the Home Depot Center to them, will return with hopes of another war, Abner Mares vs. Jhonny Gonzalez. Mares, a fighter who has fought a who’s who list of fighters from defeating Joseph Agbeko in 2011 for his first title, the IBF bantamweight world title, to destroying Eric Morel in under a year’s time. Yet it was most win against Daniel Ponce De Leon for WBC Super Bantamweight title that allowed Abner Mares name enter into the pound for pound top ten lists. Mares has faced a murder’s row with the likes of only Carl Froch and Andre Ward having faced tougher foes over the past couple of years. Mares in fact stole the show from Floyd Mayweather on that given night as he knocked out (ok it was a technical knockout, I know Nes, but STILL) Ponce De Leon in a fight that no one expected he would control so thoroughly.
Yet this still does not stop critics from questioning Mares as though he hasn’t had to prove enough already, but one of the major aspects of this fight is the fact that Jhonny Gonzalez has power simply said. Mares whom should of have little doubters still has yet to take a flush punch at his new weight class of Super Bantamweight as he was far too slick for Ponce De Leon. Gonzalez who provides more boxing skill then Ponce De Leon may just have the ability to set up a big shot that Mares may not see coming. Yet the big question around Gonzalez has always been his own chin as his power has been a gift and curse leading him into exchanges that have left him in undesirable locations in the rings landscape. At the same time, Gonzalez is no journeyman and is the type of guy who can be in a fight of the year at any moment and looks to redeem himself after the Ponce De Leon fight in which neither fighter lived up to the billing of the brawl people expected. Gonzalez has nothing to lose and is playing on house money, is there anything worse for wear then fighting a man on those terms.
Mares right now is the man at 126 lbs., he is the staple of Golden Boy Promotions stable and barring something weird like Gary Russell Jr not fighting another TBA opponent, things do not appear to change as Mares is not just a star, but one who takes to social media calling upon the fans to get him fights. As many may know Nonito Donaire got boxed into a rough place when Abner Mares called him out over twitter in the midst of the cold war, Golden Boy vs. Top Rank feud, and even recently called out Mikey Garcia essentially the best of the lighter weight class fighters. Mares has earned respect amongst the public, because of his sheer honesty in wanting to fight the best and putting pressure on his promoter for him to do so. This fight though it may not be a high profile fight like the names he called out where, but is a respectable fight and is the type of fight that if he were to win could place Mares in consideration for Fighter of the Year if he could delivery another dominant performance as 2013 has easily been Mares breakout year from being viewed as good to elite.
Leo Santa Cruz has for the past year or so has been boxing’s best kept secret though you can call his PPV undercard debut under Mayweather-Guerrero a showcase fight, it is beginning to seem hard to believe that anyone at 122 within his promotion will not become a showcase for him making speculation that Santa Cruz being featured on the undercard of a Mares main event maybe more than an accident. The two appeal to the same demographic Latinos in the Southern California area, yet this is all before the point that Santa Cruz will be facing Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas who only has two losses and one notable win over Fernando Montiel. The big thing is Leo Santa Cruz doesn’t just attack the body; he attempts to kill the body. I find it hard to think of another fighter who has such a love affair with the body outside of the lightweight Santa Cruz who simply makes his foes quit against him, Santa Cruz knocks the fight out them as he destroys his foes bread basket.
In the home of wars, StubHub Center, in the heart of Carson, CA live on Showtime these two bouts will be featured on the main card of Showtime Championship Boxing as well as undercard action will be featured on ShoExtreme. Tickets range from $ 25 to 150 and are available for purchase at AXS.com.
