By Nick Bellafatto
It wasn’t so long ago that currently undefeated WBC featherweight champion and now pound-for-pound fighter Abner Mares (26-0-1, 14 KO’s) of Hawaiian Gardens, California was more or less considered a non-factor when it came to discussing boxing’s elite little men.
Not helping his cause, Abner in his biggest bout to date would obtain a most tainted victory over former world champion Joseph Agbeko in 2011, this by way of throwing and landing innumerable low blows in one of the most foul-filled and controversially refereed bouts of the modern age.
In fact, many observers at the time could only fathom Mares capturing the Showtime Bantamweight Tournament and existing IBF title by resorting to such measures against the more seasoned Agbeko, the same measures of which previous opponent Vic Darchinyan had complained of. Suffice it to say that Mares would prove naysayer’s wrong by redeeming himself in non other than grand fashion.
That’s to say turning on the speed to land at a 3-1 clip, the Mexican born fighter would dust off Agbeko in a follow up bout, to in utter dominance render a rubber match between the Ghanaian fighter and himself insignificant. More importantly however, Abner would through confidence come to understand that what he does and how he does it was proof enough alone that he belonged amongst boxing upper echelon.
Further evidence of that would surface when Mares took on and defeated consummate pro and former world champion Eric Morel. In that bout the highly skilled Morel, although on the down side of his career, would succumb to a dominant foe in Abner Mares who without a hitch would go on to capture yet another title in an entirely new division.
If that weren’t enough to draw attention, then came top ten pound-for-pound fighter at the time and defensive wizard Anselmo Moreno of Panama, touted to be one of the next big attractions in boxing. That distinction is literally no more as Mares in administering a pressurized beat down would earn a one-sided victory, relegating the Panamanian virtually non-existent as concerns pugilistic inquiry.
That brings us to Mares’s latest triumph against friend, former sparring partner, and the always dangerously competitive Daniel Ponce De Leon. Astonishingly moving up in weight once more to contest a man who not only gave Cuban dynamo Yuriorkis Gamboa all he could handle, but a man considered by many to have edged out rising star Adrien Broner, Abner in the eyes of many was taking on too much too fast.
That risk would pay off tremendously as Mares continuing on an epic roll would garner his current WBC featherweight title while simultaneously demonstrating an unforseen punching potency that would not only put De Leon on the canvass, but would eventually stop Ponce for only the second time in his career.
Enter veteran and former world champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46 KO’s) of Mexico City, Mexico, not only Mares’s upcoming opponent tomorrow night at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California, but the previous owner of the very title up for contention. For it was Ponce De Leon who by way of technical decision would inherit the WBC featherweight belt that I’m sure Gonzalez still feels is rightfully his.
Behind to Ponce De Leon on the scorecards when an accidental head butt occurred in the eighth round that led to the title transfer, Jhonny would love nothing more than to upend the top rated and streaking Mares on a nationally televised Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast.
With almost twice as many knockouts as Mares has fights, the vastly more experienced as well as far lengthier Gonzalez will look to use that reach and know how to once again be hailed as world champion. And in terms of having so many more fights than Mares, to some meaning too much milage on the odometer to contest with the younger champion, Jhonny feels he has a lot more left in the tank.
Whether Gonzalez has more left in the tank, or whether one was able to turn back the hands of time to put him on even terms with Mares as concerns age or wear and tear is of no consequence to me. I’m rather of the opinion that Mares would, and will prevail. I simply look for Abner to get past the jab and whatever else the challenger has to offer up, to as the quicker fisted fighter impose his relentless pressure style on Gonzalez for the win.
That win may come in the form of a unanimous decision, or by way of stoppage so that the ever hungry Abner Mares solidifies his hold at number 5 on the current pound-for-pound list. That is until there arrives a day when the feuding entities of Golden Boy and Top Rank Promotions see fit to put together a Mares-Rigondeaux, or Mares-Donaire ticket which would afford Abner the opportunity to move further up that list.
So to Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum, there’s public interest to satisfy, and money to be made, get it together. Mares vs. Gonzalez is a 12 round main event fight for Mares’s WBC featherweight world championship taking place this Saturday night, August 24 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California.
To open the telecast all action fighter and unbeaten former IBF world champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (24-0-1, 14 KO’s) of Los Angeles, California will in the co-feature tangle with current WBC junior featherweight world champion Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas (37-2-1, 21 KO’s), of Guadalajara, Mexico. Should be an excellent double header.
http://youtu.be/svCxnaq1r8E
