Showtime's bantamweight tournament will conclude after all. Abner Mares says that his fight with Joseph Agbeko is being rescheduled for August 13 on Showtime, with a "90% chance" that the fight will land in Los Angeles.
Agbeko was forced to pull out of the originally scheduled April 23 fight with a back injury, but vowed to come back and have the fight rescheduled. He and Mares were due to meet in the finals of Showtime's four-man bantamweight tournament, after last year beating Yonnhy Perez and Vic Darchinyan, respectively, in the semifinals.
Mares (21-0-1, 13 KO) is a rising star for Golden Boy Promotions, while Agbeko (28-2, 22 KO) has been a longtime contender at 118 pounds. The younger Mares is quickly becoming a diehard fan favorite, but Agbeko is arguably the toughest matchup he's had to date. The 31-year-old Ghanaian (based in the Bronx) has wins over Perez and Darchinyan. The two are top three fighters in the bantamweight division, and with Nonito Donaire currently on the sidelines, this is likely the best fight to be made at the weight.
But much will depend on how serious Agbeko's condition really is, and if it will be a long-term problem for him. Sciatica is certainly no easy injury to deal with, and for a professional fighter could be a serious hindrance. For now, the severity is really unknown, and his being able to even tentatively schedule the fight again is hopefully a good sign.