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<\/a>In an electrifying war that had the STAPLES Center crowd on its feet chanting for more, Leo Santa Cruz defended his WBA Featherweight World Championship by winning a unanimous decision against four-division world champion Abner Mares in their rematch Saturday night on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING \u00ae.<\/p>\nIn almost an exact replica stat-wise of the first fight that Santa Cruz won by majority decision in 2015, the Los Angeles-native and three-division world champion Santa Cruz won on all three of the judges\u2019 scorecards against Mares by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111.<\/p>\n
With the win, Santa Cruz (34-1-1, 19 KOs) takes one more step toward a possible unification fight in the competitive 126-pound division, one of boxing\u2019s deepest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels great,\u201d Santa Cruz said. \u201cAbner is a great fighter. He left his heart out there. It was a tough fight but thank God we got the victory. I had to be smarter, that\u2019s why it was not a bigger war but it was a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similar to the first time the two Mexican-American warriors met, which resulted in more than 2,000 punches being thrown, a total of 1,992 totals punches were thrown in Saturday\u2019s fight with Santa Cruz throwing 1,061 to Mares\u2019 931. Santa Cruz landed 357 punches compared to 208 for Mares.<\/p>\n
Mares (31-2-1, 15 KOs) started fast, winning the first two rounds on SHOWTIME\u2019s unofficial scorer Steve Farhood\u2019s card before Santa Cruz kicked it in another gear and went to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a \u2018Fight of the Year\u2019 like I told you,\u201d said Mares. \u201cI hope you like the fight because we fought for you, Los Angeles. Win or lose, we did it for the fans. It was a great fight.\u201c<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt is what it is. I don\u2019t want to discuss scores. The judges decided that, and that\u2019s it. I\u2019ll do it again. Let\u2019s do it again. Mares-Santa Cruz 3.\u201d<\/p>\n
In what SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo termed a \u201cFeatherweight Fiesta,\u201d Santa Cruz dictated the pace from the third round on, utilizing his reach and working off the jab.<\/p>\n
Santa Cruz suffered a cut above his left eye in the eighth round. \u201cA cut is a cut, it wasn\u2019t bothering me as much,\u201d Santa Cruz said. \u201cI didn\u2019t let that distract me. I had cuts before. You keep on fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mares, a former three-division world champion and a veteran of 10 world championship fights, had famed trainer Robert Garcia in his corner for this fight. \u201cI said it before the fight: whoever wins this fight will be the number one featherweight. Santa Cruz won so he\u2019s No. 1. I tip my hat off to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked if he\u2019s the No. 1 featherweight in the division, Santa Cruz replied: \u201cHopefully I am. I\u2019ll leave it to the fans to decide. I want Gary Russell Jr. next. I want to unify. I\u2019m ready for everyone, whoever and whenever.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the co-main event of the doubleheader, Jermell Charlo (31-0, 15 KOs) recorded a majority decision victory by outpointing former world champion Austin Trout (31-5, 17 KOs) to defend his WBC Super Welterweight World Championship. Charlo\u2019s four-fight knockout streak ended in his third world title defense. Two judges scored it 118-108 and 115-111 in favor of Charlo, and third scored it 113-113.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you knock them out, sometimes you just beat them.\u201d said Charlo, who has now defended his 154-pound title three times. \u201cI went to fish, I tried to get some trout but I couldn\u2019t catch him on the hook. I know they\u2019re used to seeing me knock boys out but at least they saw me take care of business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlo recorded two knockdowns in the bout. Trout hit the canvas for the first time in the final minute of the third round as Charlo applied heavy pressure, first connecting on a big right followed by a counter left hook that knocked Trout off balance. Just eight seconds into the ninth, Trout went to one knee on a Charlo left hook to the side of Trout\u2019s head. It was the sixth time Trout had been down in his career. Charlo continued to exert punishment on the game but tiring Trout.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake those knockdowns away I won the fight,\u201d said the southpaw Trout, 32, who also went the distance in a unanimous-decision loss against Jermell\u2019s twin brother and interim middleweight titleholder Jermall in 2016. \u201cI can\u2019t make any excuses, the better man won with those knockdowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth Jermell and Jermall are really good. They are the future. But I\u2019m not done yet. I\u2019m not defined by my results. I\u2019m defined by the risks I take. I\u2019ve taken the risks and I\u2019ve stood my ground every time against giants and killers. And I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n
More accurate than Trout connecting on his punches the entire fight, Charlo went on a relentless attack in the 10th, connecting on multiples power punches that seemed to faze Trout. Charlo continued his attack in the 11th and 12th, choosing to stay upstairs as opposed to going to the body.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrout will tell you who will win that fight,\u201d Charlo said of a potential unification with IBF and WBA 154-pound titleholder Jarret Hurd. \u201cThat\u2019s why he survived 12. If Hurd sat in front of me and took those shots he\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the SHOWTIME BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP telecast it was announced that WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia and IBF Lightweight World Champion Robert Easter Jr. will meet in a 135-pound unification showdown between unbeaten stars Saturday, July 28 live on SHOWTIME from STAPLES Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were fighting at 140 but I always had my mind set act coming back to lightweight,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cThe only fight that made sense was a unification and the fighter available was Robert Easter Jr. He\u2019s a champion and the man to beat. It\u2019s great to be back to finally give my fans here in Southern California a fight. Now that we are I get to give them a unification match and the biggest fight of my career to date.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got my fight on July 28, but there\u2019s been a lot of talk about [Vasyl] Lomachenko and me over the past year. If I get through Robert Easter I\u2019d be unified champ and the only other fight that makes sense is Lomachenko,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Easter recently changed trainers and is now working with Kevin Cunningham. \u201cLomachenko and Mikey are two skillful guys in the lightweight division and two guys I want to fight,\u201d Easter said. \u201cMe and Mikey will do the talking in the ring. My height and my reach will give anyone problems as long as I use them skillfully.\u201d<\/p>\n