Abner Mares: Leo Santa Cruz 'never really wanted to face me'

Abner Mares: Leo Santa Cruz 'never really wanted to face me'
Mark E. Ortega
USA TODAY
July 15, 2015

LYNWOOD, Calif. — Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares have been on a collision course for several years. With the two finally due to square off, Mares says there’s only one person to blame that it hasn’t happened sooner.

“I pushed for this fight, he never really wanted to face me,” Mares said. “I’ve wanted to fight him for a while. We fought on the same card at Staples Center and I’ve wanted to fight him since then.”

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Bits & Pieces: Gonzalez's and Golden Boy's future plans

Bits & Pieces: Gonzalez's and Golden Boy's future plans
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 26, 2013


One of boxing's young stars was dealt his first taste of defeat on Saturday, as Abner Mares was shockingly knocked out by veteran Jhonny Gonzalez in the first round at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, Calif. The bout headlined a Showtime telecast that also featured Leo Santa Cruz add another title to his name when he beat up Victor Terrazas before stopping him in the third.

After the fight, Gonzalez and Mares appeared at the post-fight press conference and showed their class. Here are some of the details from that as well as Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer discussing a few future points for his company.

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Agbeko a free agent, eyes top junior featherweights

Agbeko a free agent, eyes top junior featherweights
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 25, 2013


Former two-time bantamweight titleholder Joseph Agbeko informed RingTV.com on Sunday that he has split from promoter Don King and is in search of a big fight in the junior featherweight division.

"Don recently granted me my release after we had a couple talks and now I'm free," Agbeko told RingTV.com on the phone.

Agbeko was previously a staple on Showtime, beginning with his dominant title claiming victory over Luis Perez in 2007. As with nearly every Don King fighter, inactivity plagued his career, but he still was able to remain a top name in the division with wins over Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez before two losses to Abner Mares.

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Santa Cruz blitzes Terrazas to take WBC title

Santa Cruz blitzes Terrazas to take WBC title
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 24, 2013


It took less than three rounds for Leo Santa Cruz to add a second title in as many divisions to his résumé on Saturday night as he demolished WBC junior featherweight beltholder Victor Terrazas at the Stub Hub Center in the evening's co-feature.

Terrazas (37-3-1, 21 KOs), of Guadalajara, was expected to give the 25-year old Santa Cruz some trouble, but Santa Cruz walked through his punches in order to batter his more experienced opponent.

The two traded uppercuts and body punches like they were baseball cards, but Santa Cruz proved the harder puncher. By the end of the second round, Terrazas' face was a grotesque and swollen mess, particularly his right eye.

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Mares stakes claim to Donaire, tops Moreno

Mares stakes claim to Donaire, tops Moreno
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 13, 2012

LOS ANGELES--Saturday night at Los Angeles' famed Staples Center, Abner Mares added another impressive name to his resume as he outpointed Panamanian slickster Anselmo Moreno over twelve rounds in their super bantamweight scrap.

The victory helps make a case for Mares being the most likely opponent to give San Leandro's Nonito Donaire his most difficult fight to date. Though Mares is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Donaire by Top Rank, some are optimistic the fight can now be made.

Mares-Moreno tops full Saturday boxing schedule

Mares-Moreno tops full Saturday boxing schedule
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 9, 2012

Saturday night, an important junior featherweight clash takes place at the famed Staples Center as Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno do battle to determine who might give San Leandro's Nonito Donaire the biggest trouble in a future fight.

It was announced last week that Donaire will return to the ring on Dec. 16 against Mexican fan favorite Jorge Arce, marking the fourth time Donaire will step in the ring in 2012, a remarkable feat in today's game. On that undercard, fellow 122 pounder Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba faces his stiffest test as he meets Thailand's Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.

Ringside Report: Mares-Agbeko 2

In the January 2012 edition if American boxing publication RING Magazine, I contributed a Ringside Report on the December 2011 rematch between Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko. This was my first appearance in RING Magazine.

Bad Officiating Now a Domestic Problem in the US

Bad Officiating Now a Domestic Problem in the US
Mark Ortega 
Undisputed Fight Magazine, September 2011 issue
September 2011

THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE SEPTEMBER 2011 EDITION OF DIGITAL BOXING MAGAZINE, UNDISPUTED FIGHT MAGAZINE.

It wasn't long ago that American fight fans figured bad officiating was a foreign concept.

The popular line “You need a knockout to get a draw over there” is rumored to be founded during the title reign of Sven Ottke of Germany, who saw many an unpopular decision fall his way.

Unfortunately, particularly in the past few years, that ideal has been wiped away by an extraordinary number of bad calls in officiating in the United States just this year.