Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Golovkin doesn’t need Ward; Ward needs Golovkin
James Allen
By James Allen August 21, 2015 12:45
Related Articles

Lucas Matthysse Finally Gets The Big Victory He Deserves Over Humberto Soto 0 24.Jun
Marquez likely to retire due to knee injury 5 10.Jun
Peter Quillin Talks Al Haymon and Gennady Golovkin 2 04.Dec

Gennady Golovkin - Andre WardThe demand for WBA Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (33-0, 30 KO’s) to move up and fight Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KO’s) has died down somewhat since his unification match against IBF champion David Lemieux (34-2, 31 KO’s) was announced earlier this month.

The thought of two hellacious punchers like them coming together is enough to put the thought of any other fight to the back of one’s mind, but Ward’s presence will continue to pervade Golovkin’s career after he and Lemieux are through.

Ward, with his mugging, technical style is really the only foreseeable threat to Golovkin’s dominance. Lemieux has the power, but his technique and durability are inferior to the man he will face in October. No such misgivings exist with Ward, who has tamed every beast put in front of him with Mayweather-like objectivity.

Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez was recently asked in an interview with Fight Hype if the Ward fight was inevitable at a catch-weight or even when his man moves up a division, and he seemed slightly vexed the question.

“First of all as a reporter let me ask you this question. He moves up to 168, and he beats Andre Ward, what does he do next? Klitschko? If he beats Andre Ward, the best fighter in the world and Mayweather’s not willing to fight him, what do we do next? We have no fights. We have no fights.”

“Second thing on a more real note, Andre hasn’t done anything to warrant what his demands will be. I think this shows you today [at a promotional event for the Lemieux fight] that Gennady is becoming the A-fighter and for that fight to happen I think that Andre and Andre’s people [Roc Nation Sports] need to sit at the table with [K2 Promotions CEO] Tom [Loeffler] and Gennady’s managers and iron something out that’s beneficial, but understanding who is the A-fighter and who is the B-fighter. And I don’t think that’s gonna happen because I think Andre thinks more of himself than he really is at this moment. He’s a great fighter, but he’s not a draw.”

“We don’t need Andre Ward; Andre Ward needs Golovkin.”

Ward has only recently returned from the wilderness. He spent the better part of three years out of action due to managerial disputes and injuries, and in that same period Golovkin made his US debut and kicked on in monstrous form to score 10 consecutive knockouts.

K2 have made sure to parade the Kazakh on both US coasts as well as in Europe and the fervour to see his KO power has become international, ensuring his capacity to generate huge amounts of money. On the other side, Ward is a boxing connoisseur’s delight, but a nobody to a casual fan.

Sanchez foresees Ward coming to the negotiation table with all the demands in the world, a position reserved for the biggest bread-winner which in that particular pairing would be Golovkin. A key point there would surely be what weight to hold the bout at, and Ward would be a silly man indeed to follow the ill-trodden paths of so many others to concede and drop down, draining himself against such a big puncher.

His demeanour and overall response seem to indicate that Sanchez is sick of hearing about Andre Ward and a fight that for now only exists as a fantasy match-up. So am I, as their meeting would hardly be exciting as the next one on Golovkin’s calendar.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Golovkin is going to fight Ward, even though he doesn't need to move up in weight, but it's going to have to wait a bit. Golovkin has a unification bout with Lemieux next and he's mandatory to the WBC belt (Cotto vs Canelo winner). K2 has that in writing from the WBC. So it would be foolish to move up in weight now with a likely Canelo match one fight away. He's worked hard for so long just to finally get someone like Lemieux in the ring, so they aren't going to abandon all that when unifying all of 160 is so damn close. All Golovkin has wanted was a shot at the lineal crown and to fight other title holders, but for whatever reasons that just wasn't possible (Sergio Martinez wouldn't fight him, as well as title holders such as Felix Sturm, Peter Quillin, etc).

Like I said before, their plan is Lemieux and then Canelo. After that a Ward fight makes all the sense in the world, plus that will give time for Andre Ward to rebuild his name after being gone and inactive for so long. He just had a tune up against Paul Smith and appears to be having another tune up on the Cotto/Canelo undercard (which sets up a Golovkin fight beautifully). I'd say late 2016 GGG vs Ward at 168.

 

[battle619]

But GGG vs Ward the whole issue is about being the "A-Side." It would not be smart for GGG to jump straight to 168 to fight Ward but if it were to happen that soon Abel Sanchez is gonna want it at a catchweight 164.

 

[naner12]

LOL @ Wilder's next opponent. If they wanted to give the fight to a random foreigner, why not give it to Teper who beat Duhaupas this fucking year, is unbeaten but beatable, and actually has decent wins.

Teper is 30+ so it's like he's this young killer. Dude would've likely jumped at the chance to fight for a title and it would've been a good payday for him I'm sure. Fighting Duhaupas makes no sense at all.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

PBC matchmaking strikes again. Quillin vs a male stripper and Wilder vs French barber

lol @ French heavyweights though, rich history there!

 

[2-0-Sixx]

If/when Deontay Wilder gets KTFO, you really gotta blame his team for matching him up so unbelievably soft his ENTIRE career, save for the Stiverne fight. The moment he steps up he's going to get blasted because he's never been in a tough fight, never challenged, he's not going to know what to do. His offensive arsenal is limited as fuck, his defense is subpar, his jab could be phenomenal but it's only good in spurts. Thank god he has real power. And that's the sad thing here, Wilder could be really good, maybe not an all time great but he probably has the tools to become one of the best heavyweights in the game but they've done him no favors by matching him like this. They are too scared to push him but that mentality will be his downfall. I had high hopes for him but I just don't see him improving.

 

[naner12]

If/when Deontay Wilder gets KTFO, you really gotta blame his team for matching him up so unbelievably soft his ENTIRE career, save for the Stiverne fight. The moment he steps up he's going to get blasted because he's never been in a tough fight, never challenged, he's not going to know what to do. His offensive arsenal is limited as fuck, his defense is subpar, his jab could be phenomenal but it's only good in spurts. Thank god he has real power. And that's the sad thing here, Wilder could be really good, maybe not an all time great but he probably has the tools to become one of the best heavyweights in the game but they've done him no favors by matching him like this. They are too scared to push him but that mentality will be his downfall. I had high hopes for him but I just don't see him improving.

And to be honest, I didn't really mind the early career matchmaking considering Wilder's limited amateur career despite his winning bronze. They for the most part kept him off TV and getting in ring experience while learning the craft is not a problem for me, but once you get to contender status and especially championship status you can't keep going like this.

The heavyweight division isn't full of killers and you can pick a guy like Teper with a good record and good wins that is a 100% winnable fight. There's absolutely no reason to match him up with Duhaupas who just lost this year to Teper and who's only good win is against Charr. I just don't get it..

 

[2-0-Sixx]

And the Charr fight was garbage, I couldn't even watch it all. Just seemed like Charr was just throwing one punch at a time and put forth a terrible effort, based on what I saw and read.

Yeah I didn't mind all the bums early in his career since he had such little amateur experience (still good enough to win Bronze regardless). And it seemed like they were starting to take step ups with Liakhovich and then Malik Scott. But now it's to bums in a row after winning his title which is simply unacceptable. I'm sure they could have found some top 15 guy who pose little to no risk.

 

[heyzel]

Former Two-Division Champ Joan Guzman Retires


Posted by: Jake Donovan on 8/23/2015 .
>>>Click Here For Tons of More Breaking Boxing News, Articles and Insider Information<<<

By Jake Donovan

After more than 17 years in the pro ranks and with nothing else on the horizon, 39-year old Joan Guzman has opted to call it a career.

The former two-division world champion—widely regarded as among the greatest fighters ever from Dominican Republic—reached that decision earlier this month. He put off sharing the news until he was certain of what the future had in store, which for the moment doesn’t include any in-ring action.

“I’m open for a major fight,” Guzman admitted in stopping just short of a full-blown retirement. “But it’s otherwise safe to say that I’ve laced ‘em up for the last time.”

Should the retirement hold up, Guzman’s career ends at 34-1-1 (21KOs), having won titles in two weight classes.

Rather than hold out for another fight that may or may not come his way, he will instead dedicate his time to helping others reach their goals. Guzman will remain richly involved in the sport, just not taking any more punches. Conversely, his newfound role as a trainer is fueled by the desire to teach young fighters the old ‘hit and don’t get hit’ mantra.

“There really aren’t a lot of defensive fighters in New York anymore,” notes Jose Nuñez, Guzman’s longtime manager and close friend. “For most of his career, ‘Guz’ was known as one of the best defensive fighters in the sport. He wants to pass that off to the next generation of fighters.”

While critics will point out his undesirable reputation for missing weight, Guzman had long ago opened the doors for his countryman, with his success paving the way for the likes of countrymen Argenis Mendez and reigning bantamweight champion Juan Carlos Payano among many others. A stellar amateur career included his representing Dominican Republic in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

After compiling a 310-10 record and establishing himself as high among the greatest amateur fighters to come out of the Dominican Republic, Guzman set his sights on becoming his nation’s best-ever in the pro ranks.

He jumped out to an amazing start beginning with his pro debut in Sept. 1996. His first major title win took place overseas when he knocked out Fabio Oliva in three rounds to claim the super bantamweight crown in their Aug. ’02 clash in Cardiff, Wales.

It was believed that a star was born, with his first defense to come versus countryman and long-reigning champ Agapito Sanchez. The planned Fall ’02 clash was put on ice when Sanchez failed his pre-fight eye exam, a medical status that put his own career on ice for another two years.

The two eventually met in what remains in Feb. ’04. In what remains the biggest all-Dominican fight ever, with Guzman claiming a 7th round knockout win to bolster his own star status. The win came with mixed emotions, as he always held his countryman in high regard. Such heartfelt emotions surfaced more than a year later, when Sanchez was murdered in Santo Domingo.

“I knew when we fought that it would take a lot of hard work to get past him,” Guzman recalls of the fight, which he views as high among his toughest wins. “He had a granite chin and kept coming. I nearly broke both of my hands trying to knock him out.”

The win was Guzman’s last under his original team before cleaning house. The dramatic shift in personnel led to his bringing Nuñez aboard as his manager in 2004.

Over the next decade, the fighter and manager enjoyed the best and worst of times. Among the high points were Guzman continuing to build his brand in the United States. He added a super featherweight championship to his arsenal, which came courtesy of a thrilling decision win over Jorge Barrios in Sept. ’06.

His first title defense was a major event for his proud nation, outpointing Antonio Davis amidst a loaded bill back home in Santo Domingo.

“We still have great memories of putting that show together and bringing Guzman home,” Nuñez fondly recalls. “Everything was clicking in his career, and being able to defend his world championship in front of all of his fans in Santo Domingo was a blessing.”

It also turned out to be a curse in a way. Guzman’s style always reeked of high-risk, low-reward, a shame considering his run came at a time when his optimal prime was spent failing to secure the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, all of whom fought in or around his same weight class, but none of whom ever bothered to look his way.

Hopes of landing a big fight eventually led to a lengthy inactive stretch before landing an HBO date against another 130 lb. fighter nobody else was in a hurry to face. Guzman managed a hard-fought 12-round win over Humberto Soto in Nov. ’07, a night many point to as the last truly great moment of his career.

From there began his second career of sorts, one marred by his inability to make weight.

His struggles to remain motivated were aided by a number of issues beyond the ring. Aside from failing to land big fights, Guzman also spent two years stressing over his mother’s lengthy battle with cancer before her untimely passing in 2009.

What didn’t help, however, was his getting comfortable in saying yes to those he probably should have left behind.

“I’m not going to lie, there were plenty of times where training should have come first, but I decided to eat poorly and enjoy my time away from the ring a bit too much,” Guzman admits of his struggles at the scales.

Most notable at the time was his eventually cancelled title challenge of then-lightweight champion Nate Campbell. Guzman weighed more than three pounds over the limit for his planned Sept. ’08 Showtime-televised headliner in Biloxi, Miss., and pulled out the fight altogether after being treated for dehydration at a nearby hospital.

While his mother’s death was met with sympathy in regards to his struggles, less forgiving was his failure to make weight on at least three other occasions over the final five years of his career. Two more tries at a lightweight crown resulted in a disputed draw with Ali Funeka followed by a win in which he was over the weight limit by a whopping nine pounds.

The low point came in his win-turned-no-contest versus Jason Davis in Dec. ’10. A clean victory—meaning his making weight and having issues in the ring—was to lead to a future showdown with then-unbeaten super lightweight champ Amir Khan, who barely outlasted Marcos Maidana in the evening’s headliner.

Instead, Guzman not only missed weight (as did Davis, for what it’s worth), but tested positive for a banned diuretic, resulting in a nine-month suspension and all but being blacklisted by most of the industry’s major stateside players.

“It wasn’t the proudest moments of my career,” Guzman noted of his frequent issues at the scales prior to his Nov. ’11 ring return. “I did a lot of great things, but also made a lot of mistakes, and could have been more disciplined in training.”

One last title bid ended in anti-climactic fashion. A 36-year old Guzman was tasked with ushering in a new era of fighters with the formation of Acquinity Sports. What was supposed to be a showcase night for the company ended in despair for Guzman, suffering the lone loss of his career in a technical decision loss to Khabib Allakhverdiev in their Nov. ’12 super lightweight title fight.

Guzman was holding his own with the unbeaten boxer from Russia, but suffered a knockdown early and two separate injuries later in the fight. The latter was a blown knee, which left him limping around the ring before referee Luis Pabon was forced to stop the fight in the eighth round. Allakhverdiev prevailed by split decision, thus denying Guzman’s request of a world title in a third weight class.

His team remained supportive, if not to a fault. Guzman was given an opportunity to headline a June ’13 Telemundo card in what was supposed to launch one last comeback. It never came to pass, as he once again was well over weight for his planned showdown with Vicente Mosquera.

Attempts to salvage his career resulted in several plans falling through before Guzman eventually ventured on his own. The move led to his last ever pro fight, a rust-shaking win over a hapless Kevin Carter last Halloween in Nashville.

The event was originally budgeted to take place outside of San Jose Fiesta, a Mexican restaurant owned by local business mogul Ramon Arrellano, who took on the role as Guzman’s new manager. However, unseasonably frigid temperatures in the mid-South—dipping to the mid 40’s by sunset—forced the event inside.

Future plans called for Guzman to stay busy in Nashville, Mexico and Santo Domingo, but they never came to pass. Instead, he decided it was best to head home, even if it meant never fighting again.

“He did what he felt he had to do to remain a pro fighter,” said Nuñez of Guzman’s planned comeback. “I was his manager for a long time and sometimes his baby sitter as well. But we have always been friends and supported every decision he made, even when it was without me.”

It was his return to his inner circle where Guzman discovered his desire to help others more so than his own career. Perhaps it can be argued that he long ago fell out of love with the idea of in-ring greatness.

Regardless of that debate, there’s no questioning the infinite boxing wisdom he possesses. He gladly passes along that knowledge to others these days in Brooklyn’s famed Gleason’s Gym, where he honed his trade in a career spanning three decades.

“We’re going to bring in a new era of fighters,” Guzman promises. “My career had its ups and downs, but you learn from the past and move on to the future. That's what I hope to pass along to the next generation.”

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Met Gabe Rosado Saturday night. Really humble and open guy.
I was walking with my girl at The Grove in LA and said "Holy shit that's Gabe Rosado". Took me a couple takes because I didn't know he moved from Philly to LA, but I started to talk to him and he was really cool about the whole "stranger out of no where comes up telling me he's a big fan" concept. Shook his hand, chopped it up a bit, welcomed him to LA, and went on my way.

Crazy shit.

 

[heyzel]

Mares Explains Jumping From Golden Boy To Al Haymon

Posted by: Miguel Rivera on 8/24/2015 .

>>>Click Here For Tons of More Breaking Boxing News, Articles and Insider Information<<<

By Miguel Rivera

Abner Mares (29-11-, 15KOs) is less than a week away from his showdown with Southern California rival Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17KOs). The fight takes place on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The fight became more of a reality when last year Mares parted ways with longtime manager Frank Espinoza and signed on with manager/adviser Al Haymon. Santa Cruz has worked for years with Haymon.

Since coming on board with Haymon, Mares says their relationship is very strong.

"It's very good. Since signing me and until now, we have a very friendly relationship. A very open relationship. He gives me advice and tells me which fight is good for me and which is not. And I am very happy about our relationship because he's a good guy, a good person, because he's not only looking out for his own benefit, but also for the benefit of me," Mares told ESPN Deportes.

In leaving Espinoza, Mares also parted ways with Golden Boy Promotions. He had been with them for his entire career and became the first world champion groomed by their banner.

"What happened is the contract ended. People think that I just left, I broke the contract, but that's not what happened. It was a matter of business, as in any other job, where someone is not required to remain in that job for life. I was with Golden Boy for seven years. I was the first world champion of the company and the contract was finished," Mares said.

"And when Haymon came to me, I told Oscar that were offering me other things and never got a counter-proposal. Therefore, I was looking after the welfare of my family, I opted for what they were offering me in this endeavor and thanked them for all they had done for me in Golden Boy. "

"There was a good relationship [De La Hoya]. But the truth is, there was never a direct relationship with him. And I think that's something that was missing with Oscar, as owner of the company, which is something that he's now doing. For my part, again, it was just a business decision."

 

[heyzel]

Lance Pugmire Verified Account
L @LATimes pugmire


Told by R @REAL miguelcotto manager Gaby Penagaricano that the PPV for @Canelo fight should be no more than $64.95 plus HD, but not final yet.

4:51 PM - 24 Aug 2015

 

[heyzel]

BoxingScene.com @boxingscene

Roach: Pacquiao-Khan May Bore - I Want Danny Garcia Roach: Pacquiao-Khan May Bore - I Want Danny Garcia - Boxing News #boxing
9:50 AM - 25 Aug 2015

 

[HERESY]

I got khan to lay hands on the liar manny.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Pac KO's Khan with ease.


Lol Mayorga grabbed Shane's girls ass, shane then chokes him

 

[heyzel]

Brandon Bennett Ready For Jonathan Maicelo Showdown

Posted by: Random Hits on 8/25/2015 .


Washington, DC - This Friday night, August 28 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the nation's capital of Washington, DC, King's Promotions will present a spectacular night of boxing that will feature some of the best talent in the United States.

In the main event, Brandon Bennett (19-1, 8 KO's) will square off with former world title challenger Jonathan Maicelo (21-2, 12 KO's) in a Lightweight bout scheduled for 10-rounds.


Bennett of Cincinnati, Ohio has been training hard for Maicelo, who has challenged for an interim world title.

"Training has been good. I been on weight for a few days. It's been 2 hard months but the difficult part of training and dieting is over and I am ready to fight," said Bennett.

When asked about Maicelo, Bennett was not concerned with his opponent, despite Maicelo having wins over Art Hovhannisyan and former world title challenger Fernando Angulo.

"He is an orthodox fighter. He likes to come in and he likes to counter punch. He may have fought for the title but I am the more experienced fighter. I have fought good guys and I get the best sparring. All of that doesn't matter, because at the end of the day, we have to fight. "



Bennett realizes that a win over Maicelo will push him very close to a fight for a world title and a win on Friday will give him another quality win to add to his resume.



"Hopefully in the next fight or two, I will be in position. Beating him should have me considered to be a top contender."


If that is the case, Bennett will join gym mates and close friends, Adrien Broner and Rau'Shee Warren as the next fighter from trainer, Mike Stafford's Cincinnati gym to fight for a world title. Bennett gets world class sparring and advice every day from Broner, a three-division world champion and Warren, a three-time U.S. Olympian and world title challenger.



The three have been inseparable for two decades


"I got into boxing at age eight. I was a football player. Rau'shee lived down the street from me and asked me to walk to the gym with him. He had already been boxing and Mike Stafford asked us to spar. He got the best of me that day but I stuck with it. Ironically, Adrien came in the next day and started boxing the very next day and Rau'shee sparred with him as well. Being around them is definitely an inspiration. I see what my friends have done and achieved and I know I will be next to have those accolades."

A terrific undercard is taking shape that will feature some of the best prospects in the country.


In 10-round Bouts:


Phil Jackson-Benson (15-2, 14 KO's) of Brooklyn, NY will take on Jinner Guerrero (8-5, 4 KO's) of Sucumbios, Ecuador in a Super Middleweight bout.


2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring (12-0, 7 KO's) will fight Ariel Vasquez (12-8-2, 8 KO's) of Managua, Nicaragua in a Lightweight bout.


Robert Easter (14-0, 11 KO's) of Toledo, OH will take on Osumanu Akaba (32-8-1, 25 KO's) of Accra, Ghana named in a Lightweight bout.


In 8-round bouts:

Demond Nicholson (13-1, 13 KO's) of Laurel, MD battles Antonio Baker (8-12, 4 KO's) of Fayetteville, NC in a Middleweight bout.


David Grayton (11-0, 8 KO's) of Washington, DC will fight Jose Valderrama (4-10, 3 KO's) of Arecibo, Puerto Rico in a Welterweight clash.


In 6-round bouts:

Kareem Martin (5-0-1, 3 KO's) of Washington, DC battles Anthony Prescott (5-6-2, 2 KO's) of Cherry Hill, NJ in Welterweight bout.


2012 U.S. Olympian Raynell Williams (8-0, 4 KO's) of Cleveland, OH takes on Jose Miguel Castro (5-5, 3 KO's) of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a Lightweight tilt.


Patrick Harris (6-0, 4 KO's) of Washington, DC will take Irvin Hernandez (3-12-2, 1 KO) of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a Lightweight bout.


Leo Hall (6-0, 6 KO's) of Detroit, MI will box against Edgar Perez (6-15, 3 KO's) of Carolina, PR in a Light Heavyweight bout.


In a 4-round Bout:


Shynggyskahn Tazhibay (1-0, 1 KO) of Karaganda, Kazakhstan will fight an oppont to be named in a Welterweight bout


All Bouts Subject to change

Tickets are on sale for $100 (Front Row); $75 (Ringside) $50 (General Admission) by calling 301-899-2430 or by logging on to

 

[CZAR]

I got khan to lay hands on the liar manny.

Agreed. Got Em!!

 

[heyzel]

Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares promise fight-of-the-year performance
3h - Boxing

69 Shares
Email
Comment

[&#8203;IMG]

[&#8203;IMG]
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer
Close

2013 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award winner for excellence in boxing journalism
ESPN.com boxing writer since 2005
Five years at USA Today




LOS ANGELES -- Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares have already both accomplished much in their careers, but they have also taken their share of criticism over the past couple of years for fighting a slate of opponents softer than a good pillow.


Leo Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
When: Saturday, 10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN

That is finally going to change in a big way, however, as the Southern California fighters, both from Mexico and among boxing's most crowd-pleasing combatants, prepare to face each other in a much-anticipated 12-round non-title featherweight fight that headlines a Premier Boxing Champions card on Saturday night (ESPN, 10 ET) at the Staples Center.


"This is definitely the biggest fight of my career," Mares said.


Santa Cruz said it is also his biggest fight.

"It's the first time I'm the main event, and then also because it's the first time I'm going to fight a fighter that's on a big level," Santa Cruz said. "Like the fans said, they wanted me to fight a fighter that is at the elite level, and I think Mares right now is the hardest opponent I ever faced."

Although there is no world title at stake, there are L.A. bragging rights up for grabs, and the match is perhaps the highest-profile fight that could be made in the 126-pound division. It also shapes up as an action-packed battle, one fans and media have clamored for.


It took a while for Al Haymon, who manages them both, to finally set up the fight that both fighters say they have longed for.


"I've been looking forward to this fight for many years; many years fans have been excited," Mares said. "I've been wanting to fight. I've been calling out Leo this whole year, called him out on radio shows, in person. And it's finally here. I'm really, really excited to fight."

Santa Cruz, who sparred around 30 rounds with Mares a few years ago, said this is a fight he has also had his eye on.

"I've wanted to fight him for a long time," Santa Cruz said. "I wanted this fight three years ago and they said I wasn't on Mares' level. I said I was going to work hard to get on that level so one day we can make it happen, and here we are.


"I started my career and I saw Mares in my weight class and he has been really good throughout his career. I think I had like four, five fights at the time and I knew that maybe in the future we're going to have to face each other and I never doubted that we were going to face each other. So, yes, it was always in my mind that sooner or later we're going to face each other."

While the 27-year-old Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs), a highly entertaining volume puncher, has won world titles in the bantamweight and junior featherweight divisions -- he still owns a junior featherweight crown but will be fighting as a featherweight for the second bout in a row -- he has fought mostly no-names and club fighters in recent years as his team sought to shield him while he amassed high six-figure purses.


"I wanted to listen to the fans and the criticism, and then I wished I could choose and say I'm going to fight this fighter, and just go on ahead and fight him. But I had to leave it to my team," Santa Cruz said. "They're here to protect me. They know what's right. So that's why I listen to [Haymon, and to Santa Cruz's father/trainer Jose Santa Cruz] and they know what's best. But sooner or later, I'm going to fight the fight that the fans want.
"I need this win for my legacy and to get to that next level. I'm here to fight the best."

Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs), 29, had a meteoric rise, winning world titles in three weight classes -- bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight -- over a 22-month period from 2011 to 2013. He has faced a gantlet of top-notch opponents in his career, including Jhonny Gonzalez, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Anselmo Moreno, Joseph Agbeko (twice), Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez.

But since losing his featherweight crown by stunning first-round knockout to Gonzalez in a big upset in August 2013, Mares has faced three soft touches in a row. All the while, fans and media howled about the lack of quality matchups featuring Mares or Santa Cruz and beat the drum for the pair to face each other.

Although Mares has faced the much better overall opposition, he is the betting underdog, undoubtedly because of the KO loss to Gonzalez and the decision to pull out of the rematch and not reschedule it.


"I've definitely faced tougher opponents than he has," Mares said of Santa Cruz. "I've been in against legitimate champions. I'm taking him to deep waters. My loss is completely forgotten. In life you have obstacles, especially in this sport. I'm over it. I'm back. This is where I want to be. When I fight guys the level of Leo Santa Cruz, it brings the best out of me.

"I'm going up against a young, undefeated, talented and strong Leo Santa Cruz. He's never tasted defeat. All of that motivates me to go in there and be the first one to take him down."


"I've been looking forward to this fight for many years; many years fans have been excited. I've been wanting to fight. I've been calling out Leo this whole year, called him out on radio shows, in person. And it's finally here.


Mares said he understands that many wanted to see this fight a bit sooner, but he believes this is the right time.

"It could have [been sooner] but you know, things happen for a reason and fights get made at weird times for business issues," Mares said. "But I think it's the perfect time for both. Leo [now] has more experience, he's been fighting great, and myself, after my defeat, I've fought three times and my mindset is there. So I think it's a perfect time for both."

In the co-feature, Mexican countrymen Hugo Ruiz (35-2, 31 KOs) and Julio Cesar Ceja (29-1, 26 KOs) square off for an interim junior featherweight title. The winner will become the full titleholder should Santa Cruz remain at featherweight. If Santa Cruz returns to junior featherweight, the Ruiz-Ceja winner will get a mandatory fight against him.

Santa Cruz and Mares have both been a staple of the Southern California boxing scene and are popular among the fans. Both figure to have large cheering sections on Saturday night.


But who will be the fan favorite?

"I'm not worried about the crowd and who they're rooting for. I'm there to make everybody a believer," Mares said. "It's going to be an amazing atmosphere, and I can't wait."


Said Santa Cruz, "I think the crowd will be 50-50. We're both from here, so it's going to be crazy. At the end of the fight it's going to be rowdy. We're excited that they're showing love and we'll give them a great fight."


That is the expectation -- a great fight. Mares and Santa Cruz both have a penchant for being in action fights. Both have good boxing skills, but their nature is to engage.


And that is why so many are expecting a fight of the year candidate, including both participants.

"I think we are going to make it a fight of the year," Mares said. "I have no question in my mind that that will be it."

Said Santa Cruz, "In my mind this is a fight of the year because we're both Mexican street fighters. We come forward trying to please the fans and I think this is going to be a great fight. I think he's a great fighter and everything, and I see this fight like almost a 50-50 [fight]. It could go either way because he's a good fighter, I'm a good fighter, so I think it's going to be great."

"No one wants to lose. We're going to leave everything in the ring. When two Mexicans fight each other, it's always bloody. We both have everything to lose."

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Playing Mares.
Small hedge on the draw.

Clemente has 3 guys fighting tomorrow.

Mares used to train at the same gym as me. It was always nice to see him work the pads. The guy is blazing fast on the mitts. Angulo currently trains on the other side of the gym, he's on the Elite Pro Boxing side. Good luck to them both!!!

Can't wait.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

I'd like to see this fight. Even though I've never been high on Angulo and both are past their best days Margarito even more so, the styles go together so well I bet it would still be entertaining. Hope it happens.


Alfredo Angulo: Me vs. Antonio Margarito is a Great Fight - Boxing News