Boxing News: Leo Santa Cruz Open To Rematch With Abner Mares, Showdown With Jesus Cuellar
Getting two titles this Saturday simply made unbeaten Mexican fighter, Leo Santa Cruz, confident into facing Abner Mares again or even mandatory challenger, Jesus Cuellar, soon.
Newly crowned World Boxing Association Super World featherweight champion Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs) is open to a rematch with Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs), whom he defeated via a majority decision on Aug. 29 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, BoxingNews24 reported. The outlet noted that the 27-year-old boxer did not just capture the WBA belt, he also earned the World Boxing Council Diamond featherweight crown.
The site's boxing analyst, Jim Dower, noted that only one judge scored the match with a tied score of 114-114, as the two judges scored it with 117-111 in favor of Santa Cruz. Dower even commented that it should have been a unanimous decision for "El Terremoto" as it "appeared to be a clear win," with him using his height and reach to his advantage well.
Mares, on the other hand, did not expect the judges' decision himself. The 29-year-old fighter believed he won the fight and wanted a rematch, BoxingScene reported.
"It was a close fight, but I thought I won the fight. I thought I pulled it off. My plan was to box him, but I started out really fast. I felt good but my corner told me to box more, so I did that...Leo is good. He's a great fighter...I'm more than willing to have a rematch," Mares said.
Santa Cruz is also ready to have another showdown with his fellow Mexican warrior, ESPN noted.
"If he wants the rematch, I'll give him the rematch. Whatever the fans want. I want to fight the big fights for the fans," Sta. Cruz said.
Possible Fight with Cuellar
Meanwhile, the WBA/WBC featherweight titlist also had no qualms in clashing with the WBA interim-champion Cuellar (27-1, 21 KOs), a separate BoxingScene article reported.
"I'll do whatever and go with whatever my team wants. If a fight with Cuellar is out there, then a fight with Cuellar is out there. If there is a rematch with Mares, I'll go with that," Santa Cruz stated.
A fight with the Argentinian mandatory challenger will not be difficult to arrange as both "El Jinete" and "El Terremoto" have Al Haymon as their advisers. Still, it will be interesting for fans to witness one or more Santa Cruz-Mares bouts as they can be "reminiscent" again of the explosive all-Mexican showdown between former champions and icons, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, as described by Boxing Scene.
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