Venue: Staple Centre, Los Angeles
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Date: Saturday, June 09
Leo Santa Cruz (34-1-1) and Abner Mares (31-2-1) are up for a rematch this Saturday at Los Angeles at Staple Centre. The debut version of the fight was held in Los Angeles in last August and welcomed a huge audience to witness an adrenaline rush as two high-octane Mexican fighters faced off each other in a busy metropolis in attempt to reign the ring.
After a showdown of fire, “The Earthquake” managed to trounce a catastrophic Mares, who left no stone unturned to reverse the decision. Although a hard-fought battle, the win was by a close margin and a rematch was evident. So a year down the lane the same ring invites the same players to brawl for the same belt – WBA Super World Featherweight Title. The question lies, will the same settings produce similar winner too?
A Look Back At The Previous Fight
Mares, despite having fought his counterpart rival Cruz in a very determined manner, now has come to an understanding that choosing a different gameplay would have definitely changed the results. Looking back at his strategy, the 32-year-old Mexican believes he should have opted to fight in a totally different manner.
From the start of the game, Mares was bent on settling matters with Santa Cruz. However, the 3-division artist regrets having adopted this approach now. With a career spanning around 34 fights, the Mexican fighter has managed 15 knockouts. He’s known to inflict gradual pain on his opponents over several rounds. After his loss at the hands of “The Earthquake” Mares has bagged wins against Jesus Cuellar and Andres Gutierrez.
Santa too has been gaining quite some popularity with his sensational fights against Kiko Martinez and Chris Avalos whilst locking horns with Carl Frampton. His premiere bout with the Irish fighter left him stripped off his title, only to get the accolade back in a second fight with victory by majority- decision.
Though 29-year-old Mexican has been bagging some wins at a close range, there is no doubt about his first-class fighting calibre. He is known to throw deadly punches for a longest time, and his 175 cm reach gives him an added advantage over his rivals including Mares.
Prediction
Right now, Santa Cruz is a betting favourite which may be surprising for some considering that his initial win over Mares was a close one. However, Cruz has been improving his skills by engaging with pro fighters and is 3 years younger than the 32-year-old Mexican.
While the winner of this brawl will rise in fame, the event will also provide for a quick opportunity for high-profile fight. There are news that WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is willing to arrange a bout between the victor Cruz-Mares fight and Gary Russell Jr. who has successfully defended his featherweight title by defeating Joseh Diaz.
There are high chances for the winner to don other titles; however, one accolade is evident: The King of Los Angeles
RDX Prediction: Santa Cruz By Unanimous Decision
