Much has been said about the return to the ring of Abner Mares.
Miguel Flores understands the commotion surrounding his most well-known foe, but he wants to remind fans that he is not here to serve only as the wrestler in the opposite corner.
“We are not going to take on the role of opponent for Mares’ comeback or farewell fight,” Flores told BoxingScene.com. “He’s going to be in for a surprise.”
Mares-Flores is part of a four-fight Fox Sports Pay-Per-View event streaming live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (Sunday, 9:00 pm ET, $74.99). The event is also available to buy online through Fite TV and PPV.com.
The fight is the first for Mares (31-3-1, 15KOs) since a points loss to reigning four-division WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz in their June 2018 rematch. The three-division champion, who represented Mexico at the 2004 Athens Olympics, was due to challenge then-WBA junior lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in an attempt to win a title in a fourth division, but had to retire in February. 2019 fight after suffering a detached retina in his right eye.
Interestingly, Flores (25-4, 12KOs) missed out on a title shot around the same time. The veteran fringe contender from the greater Houston area was due to challenge Santa Cruz on a Fox show, only to suffer an ankle injury that forced him to withdraw. The fight would return later that November, coming down to junior lightweight and with Flores losing a competitive but clear twelve-round decision.
Only two fights have followed, including a terrifying knockout loss to Eduardo Ramirez in their December 2020 WBA featherweight title eliminator. Flores bounced back with an eight-round split decision win over veteran journeyman Diuhl Olguin. last June in Houston, since he was waiting for his next opportunity.
Flores patiently awaited instructions for a planned clash with Mares. Several dates were mentioned before the fight materialized for this weekend after Mares passed a series of extensive medical exams over the past two years. Mares had deflected any concerns about prolonging his career by insisting he’s just taking things one fight at a time and not knowing if he’ll continue his career after Sunday.
Flores has much grander plans for his own future, much more than serving as cannon fodder for his legendary opponent.
“Obviously it’s a great opportunity to take a big name and put it on my résumé,” Flores said of the matchup. “Three division world champion, it is easy to say that but difficult to achieve it. I can beat a guy who’s been a three-division champion and probably a Hall of Famer. That’s what this means to me.”
The ten-round lightweight bout will serve as support for the WBC heavyweight title semifinal eliminator between Andy Ruiz and Luis Ortiz.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
