By Ian S Palmer
Unbeaten WBC Featherweight Champion Abner Mares of California will be putting his title on the line Saturday August 24 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California when he takes on former champion Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico. Mares won the title in his last bout by stopping Daniel ‘Ponce’ De Leon in the ninth round. This is his first defence of the crown and it can be seen on Showtime in America and Super Channel in Canada.
Mares has become one of the best and most exciting boxers over the past three years with some big wins to his name. He won the bantamweight tournament that Showtime presented by beating Joseph Agbeko on two occasions along with Vic Darchinyan. He’s also beaten Eric Morel and Anselmo Moreno in the past few years and has been fighting between 118 and 126 lbs, gradually moving up in weight over time.
The 27-year-old Mares has a near-perfect record of 26-0-1 along with 14 Kos while the 31-year-old veteran Gonzalez will enter the ring with a mark of 54-8 with 46 Kos. Mares is used to fighting champions and ex-champions so this isn’t a step up in class for him. Not only has he been beating these guys, but he’s looked dominant in most of his recent bouts. Gonzalez has also been involved in a slew of tough fights against top boxers, so they both have a lot of experience.
Gonzalez turned pro at a very young age as he’s been fighting since 1999. He won his first belt eight years ago and obviously has a lot of power in his fists. His best performances came against Fernando Montiel and Mark Johnson, but he could now be just past his prime as an elite fighter. However, he still possesses excellent power and Mares will need to keep that in mind.
While Gonzalez can still punch with the best of them, his ability to absorb a shot could now be a weak point. He’s been on the deck before and Mares may be more powerful now that he’s competing in a higher weight class. Another problem with Gonzalez is that he’s been inconsistent over his career. He has looked unbeatable in some outings and mediocre in others, meaning you never know when the real McCoy is going to show up.
Gonzalez will have to be at his best if he hopes to take the title from Mares and he knows it. The champion also realizes the Mexican can hit hard and he’s sure to try and get him out of there if the opportunity presents itself. He doesn’t want the fight to go any longer than necessary. This could lead to an exciting bout while it lasts.
Mares is a better boxer than Gonzalez and has decent power of his own. But Gonzalez can change the outcome of a fight with just one punch, especially his thunderous right hand. If Mares can take his power, which he should be able to after getting rocked once or twice, look for him to hang onto the title by a unanimous decision or stoppage some time after the sixth round.
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