Watch Boxing Live Leo Santa Cruz vs Abner Mares Live Stream Free, Leo Santa Cruz vs Abner Mares Boxing match will be kickoff at Staples, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Sunday 10 June 2018 online, 09:30 pm (AEDT) and its broadcast on Channel Seven, Foxtell.
While the expectations for a repeat in action are aplenty entering Saturday's Leo Santa Cruz-Abner Mares featherweight title rematch, both fighters agree the second fight will look just a bit different.
Santa Cruz (34-1-1, 19 KOs), a three-division titleholder, will defend his WBA 126-pound championship against Mares (31-2-1, 15 KOs), who holds the organization's secondary title, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET). The doubleheader also features WBC junior middleweight titleholder Jermell Charlo against former champion Austin Trout.
The reason for the difference surrounds the performance from Mares, 32, in their first fight three years ago. Much of the drama and action that night can be credited to Mares' willingness to throw caution to the wind in the first half by rushing Santa Cruz with constant flurries.
The main drawback of that style, however, was that Mares ran out of gas late, allowing Santa Cruz, 29, to take home a majority decision in one of 2015's best fights.
"I can't go in with the same exact mentality as last time and try to knock Leo's head off," Mares said. "I have power, but I'm not a one-punch knockout artist. The difference between our fight in 2015 and now is that I'm a more mature and seasoned fighter. I've been in this sport a long time, and now with having [trainer] Robert Garcia in my corner, he's really helped my mental game and given me great guidance."
Santa Cruz was able to balance when to fight off Mares with flurries at close range and when to rely on his length to box from the outside. He expects a much more tactical fight this time around against a much more disciplined Mares.
"I think he's going to be more cautious this time and smarter," Santa Cruz told CBS Sports' "In This Corner" podcast on Monday. "He had heart like a true Mexican warrior [in the first fight]. He came forward and threw a lot of punches. He didn't run and he was exchanging with me. He came out and tried to knock me out and he got tired. I think he is going to come out more relaxed and smarter and will try to move more.
We have already seen Mares come up short in his attempt to bully and overwhelm Santa Cruz with power punches. It's also difficult to imagine Mares -- a boxer-puncher who has always favored reckless aggressiveness to technical brilliance -- outboxing Santa Cruz as the busier fighter.
If there's a hybrid strategy to be employed for Mares in order to disarm Santa Cruz's long jab, surely new trainer Robert Garcia can come up with it and it likely involves the idea of Mares being more patient to look for counter shots and smart opportunities to surprise with flurries.
Mares' speed advantage could certainly help him in that quest. But Santa Cruz has evolved into such a well-rounded fighter, mixing combinations to the body and heavy activity behind his jab, that it may not matter.
Until Mares can find a flaw in Santa Cruz's game that he's able to exploit, his lack of one-punch power and deficiencies in technique compared to his opponent present a hill that's not easily climbed considering Santa Cruz is the taller and longer fighter at the peak of his physical prime.
The rematch has all the makings to be exciting, but will probably end up looking more like Santa Cruz's two fights with Frampton than their frantic first fight. That is, unless Mares becomes frustrated and reverts to his default. Either way, it's likely to play into the hands of Santa Cruz, who has shown nothing short of an iron chin up to this point.
While the expectations for a repeat in action are aplenty entering Saturday's Leo Santa Cruz-Abner Mares featherweight title rematch, both fighters agree the second fight will look just a bit different.
Santa Cruz (34-1-1, 19 KOs), a three-division titleholder, will defend his WBA 126-pound championship against Mares (31-2-1, 15 KOs), who holds the organization's secondary title, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET). The doubleheader also features WBC junior middleweight titleholder Jermell Charlo against former champion Austin Trout.
The reason for the difference surrounds the performance from Mares, 32, in their first fight three years ago. Much of the drama and action that night can be credited to Mares' willingness to throw caution to the wind in the first half by rushing Santa Cruz with constant flurries.
The main drawback of that style, however, was that Mares ran out of gas late, allowing Santa Cruz, 29, to take home a majority decision in one of 2015's best fights.
"I can't go in with the same exact mentality as last time and try to knock Leo's head off," Mares said. "I have power, but I'm not a one-punch knockout artist. The difference between our fight in 2015 and now is that I'm a more mature and seasoned fighter. I've been in this sport a long time, and now with having [trainer] Robert Garcia in my corner, he's really helped my mental game and given me great guidance."
Santa Cruz was able to balance when to fight off Mares with flurries at close range and when to rely on his length to box from the outside. He expects a much more tactical fight this time around against a much more disciplined Mares.
"I think he's going to be more cautious this time and smarter," Santa Cruz told CBS Sports' "In This Corner" podcast on Monday. "He had heart like a true Mexican warrior [in the first fight]. He came forward and threw a lot of punches. He didn't run and he was exchanging with me. He came out and tried to knock me out and he got tired. I think he is going to come out more relaxed and smarter and will try to move more.
We have already seen Mares come up short in his attempt to bully and overwhelm Santa Cruz with power punches. It's also difficult to imagine Mares -- a boxer-puncher who has always favored reckless aggressiveness to technical brilliance -- outboxing Santa Cruz as the busier fighter.
If there's a hybrid strategy to be employed for Mares in order to disarm Santa Cruz's long jab, surely new trainer Robert Garcia can come up with it and it likely involves the idea of Mares being more patient to look for counter shots and smart opportunities to surprise with flurries.
Mares' speed advantage could certainly help him in that quest. But Santa Cruz has evolved into such a well-rounded fighter, mixing combinations to the body and heavy activity behind his jab, that it may not matter.
Until Mares can find a flaw in Santa Cruz's game that he's able to exploit, his lack of one-punch power and deficiencies in technique compared to his opponent present a hill that's not easily climbed considering Santa Cruz is the taller and longer fighter at the peak of his physical prime.
The rematch has all the makings to be exciting, but will probably end up looking more like Santa Cruz's two fights with Frampton than their frantic first fight. That is, unless Mares becomes frustrated and reverts to his default. Either way, it's likely to play into the hands of Santa Cruz, who has shown nothing short of an iron chin up to this point.
