Abner Mares Vacates IBF Belt, Moving Up to Super Bantamweight
by Scott Christ on Feb 8, 2012 3:50 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
Email
Print
Abner Mares' manager Frankie Espinoza tweeted this morning that the fighter has officially vacated his IBF bantamweight title in order to move up to 122 pounds in the near future.
Mares (23-0-1, 13 KO) had an odd 2011 that included a long wait, a controversial win, and then a strong performance that made clear he was a real deal top fighter, all of that coming with Joseph Agbeko and the IBF title involved.
After defeating Vic Darchinyan in December 2010, Mares was set to face Joseph Agbeko in the finals bout of Showtime's four-man bantamweight box-off. But that was postponed when Agbeko came down with sudden onset sciatica, canceling their April date and rescheduling the fight for August.
The August date was maybe the most controversial fight of 2011, as Mares landed an obscene amount of low blows en route to a decision win, which ultimate resulted in referee Russell Mora being demoted to lower-tier fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
But Mares took the controversy and turned it into a rematch, which the IBF had ordered, and the two met again on December 3, with Mares winning more convincingly in the rematch.
Recently, the IBF ordered Mares to fight mandatory challenger Vusi Malinga of South Africa. Malinga (20-3-1, 12 KO) has been inactive since October 2010, which is in large part because he's been sitting on his mandatory title shot. It's hard to give a fighter a lot of respect for sitting and waiting and using that mandatory status to not fight, and with Malinga's lack of name value and likely lack of interest from American TV networks, it's also hard to blame Mares and his team for just vacating the belt and moving on.
Malinga got the title shot for winning an eliminator against Michael Domingo, and that's all that's been asked of him, but it's a low-reward sort of fight for Mares at this stage of his career.
What Mares will be doing is returning to the ring in Mexico on April 21, as Golden Boy is putting together a card that will also likely feature Anselmo Moreno, who may now be the default top bantamweight in the world with Mares intending to move up and Nonito Donaire having just left the division.
The IBF title will be decided between Malinga and AJ Banal, the once heavily-hyped Filipino prospect who has since quieted down and gone about his business, running up a record of 26-1-1 (19 KO). Banal, 23, hasn't lost since his knockout defeat at the hands of Rafael Concepcion in 2008.
16 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Having the April 21 card full of Mexican talent so close to a Cinco de Mayo PPV card which screams for Mexican talent seems a little silly. I mean Mares would be great for the Mayweather PPV if they could get him a halfway decent opponent.
"The bell that tolls for all in boxing belongs to a cash register."
-Bob Verdi
There are a few Mexican guys around. They should be able to put on two boxing shows with them.
Bad Left Hook
"The internet has undermined professionalism in journalism, which is a good thing." - Bill James
Mares on the Mayweather PPV isn’t going to get the show any more buys. They’ve got Floyd and Cotto to do that, with Canelo thrown in for good measure. At least this way they’re selling two shows, rather than one. Maximise profits and all that.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Feb 8, 2012 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
what are the odds that Mares-Donaire ever happens? It’s a serious question because I really don’t know.
0% so long as the GBP-TR feud continues
Bad Left Hook
"The internet has undermined professionalism in journalism, which is a good thing." - Bill James
How hot is super bantamweight right now?
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
Realistically I think there are still better fights at bantam for Mares. Who’s he gonna fight at 122? Rigondeaux and Donaire both have Top Rank ties. Nishioka and his promoter deal with Top Rank in the US. Vazquez is tied to Top Rank. Arce is tied to Top Rank.
I mean, what? Rico Ramos?
Bad Left Hook
"The internet has undermined professionalism in journalism, which is a good thing." - Bill James
I actually kinda feel the same, but I guess Golden Boy don’t want to match Mares-Moreno yet. Still, I can’t imagine Mares would have moved up without a guarantee that Golden Boy would be able to get him certain fights. It would just be, well, brainless otherwise – which, all things considered, wouldn’t come as that big of a shock…
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Feb 8, 2012 4:34 PM EST up reply actions
Paul Malignaggi apparently was “confident” that GBP was going to try with the Senchenko purse bid. Golden Boy says lot of things.
Bad Left Hook
"The internet has undermined professionalism in journalism, which is a good thing." - Bill James
Perhaps he's planning a defection
I believe his contract is up in two fights.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
by Brickhaus on Feb 8, 2012 7:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Which coincidentally
Is probably around the same time that Alvarez’s contract will run out, when I suspect he’s likely to go solo a la Mayweather or Sturm. This stupid feud should end in a few years when GBP is relegated to the second tier, at the pace theyre going.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
by Brickhaus on Feb 8, 2012 7:43 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Canelo is rumbling already in private
Can’t speak for Mares but with two fights left on his contract and many if not most of his peers fighting at 122 with another promoter, let’s see what he decides.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
I'd have much preferred he went after Moreno's title
if he was going to vacate IBF title anyway. Would’ve been an excellent matchup.
drag.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanShots on Bad Left Hook
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
