 |
|
لس آنجلس (ژوئن 9, 2018) – In an electrifying war that had the STAPLES Center crowd on its feet chanting for more, لئو سانتا کروز defended his WBA Featherweight World Championship by winning a unanimous decision against four-division world champion ابنر مادیان in their rematch Saturday night on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.
In 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’ scorecards against Mares by scores of 115-113, 116-112, و 117-111.
با پیروزی, سانتا کروز (34-1-1, 19 کوس) takes one more step toward a possible unification fight in the competitive 126-pound division, one of boxing’s deepest.
“این احساس بزرگ,” سانتا کروز گفت:. “Abner 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’s why it was not a bigger war but it was a good one.”
Similar to the first time the two Mexican-American warriors met, which resulted in more than 2,000 punches being thrown, در مجموع 1,992 totals punches were thrown in Saturday’s fight with Santa Cruz throwing 1,061 to Mares’ 931. Santa Cruz landed 357 مشت در مقایسه با 208 for Mares.
مادران (31-2-1, 15 کوس) سریع شروع شد, winning the first two rounds on SHOWTIME’s unofficial scorer Steve Farhood’s card before Santa Cruz kicked it in another gear and went to work.
“It was a ‘Fight of the Year’ like I told you,” مادیان گفت. “I hope you like the fight because we fought for you, لس آنجلس. برد یا باخت, we did it for the fans. این یک مبارزه بزرگ بود.”
او اضافه کرد: “همینه که هست. I don’t want to discuss scores. The judges decided that, و همین. I’ll do it again. بیایید دوباره این کار را انجام دهیم. Mares-Santa Cruz 3.”
In what SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo termed a “Featherweight Fiesta,” Santa Cruz dictated the pace from the third round on, utilizing his reach and working off the jab.
Santa Cruz suffered a cut above his left eye in the eighth round. “A cut is a cut, it wasn’t bothering me as much,” سانتا کروز گفت:. “I didn’t let that distract me. I had cuts before. You keep on fighting.”
مادران, a former three-division world champion and a veteran of 10 دعوا مسابقات قهرمانی جهان, had famed trainer Robert Garcia in his corner for this fight. “I said it before the fight: whoever wins this fight will be the number one featherweight. Santa Cruz won so he’s No. 1. I tip my hat off to him.”
When asked if he’s the No. 1 featherweight in the division, Santa Cruz replied: “امیدوارم که باشم. I’ll leave it to the fans to decide. من می خواهم گری راسل جونیور. بعد. من می خواهم متحد شوم. I’m ready for everyone, whoever and whenever.”
In the co-main event of the doubleheader, Jermell چارلو، مونتانا (31-0, 15 کوس) recorded a majority decision victory by outpointing former world champion آستین ماهی قزل آلا (31-5, 17 کوس) to defend his WBC Super Welterweight World Championship. Charlo’s four-fight knockout streak ended in his third world title defense. دو قاضی آن را به ثمر رساندند 118-108 و 115-111 in favor of Charlo, and third scored it 113-113.
“Sometimes you knock them out, sometimes you just beat them.” سعید چارلو، مونتانا, who has now defended his 154-pound title three times. “I went to fish, I tried to get some trout but I couldn’t catch him on the hook. I know they’re used to seeing me knock boys out but at least they saw me take care of business.”
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’s head. It was the sixth time Trout had been down in his career. Charlo continued to exert punishment on the game but tiring Trout.
“Take those knockdowns away I won the fight,” said the southpaw Trout, 32, who also went the distance in a unanimous-decision loss against Jermell’s twin brother and interim middleweight titleholder Jermall in 2016. “I can’t make any excuses, the better man won with those knockdowns.
“Both Jermell and Jermall are really good. They are the future. But I’m not done yet. I’m not defined by my results. I’m defined by the risks I take. I’ve taken the risks and I’ve stood my ground every time against giants and killers. And I’m still here.”
More accurate than Trout connecting on his punches the entire fight, Charlo went on a relentless attack in the 10هفتم, connecting on multiples power punches that seemed to faze Trout. Charlo continued his attack in the 11هفتم و 12هفتم, choosing to stay upstairs as opposed to going to the body.
“Trout will tell you who will win that fight,” Charlo said of a potential unification with IBF and WBA 154-pound titleholder Jarret Hurd. “That’s why he survived 12. If Hurd sat in front of me and took those shots he’s done.”
During the SHOWTIME BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP telecast it was announced that WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey گارسیا and IBF Lightweight World Champion رابرت جونیور عید پاک. will meet in a 135-pound unification showdown between unbeaten stars Saturday, جولای 28 live on SHOWTIME from STAPLES Center.
“We were fighting at 140 but I always had my mind set act coming back to lightweight,” گارسیا گفت. “The only fight that made sense was a unification and the fighter available was Robert Easter Jr. He’s a champion and the man to beat. It’s 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.”
“I got my fight on July 28, but there’s been a lot of talk about [واسیل] Lomachenko and me over the past year. If I get through Robert Easter I’d be unified champ and the only other fight that makes sense is Lomachenko,” او افزود.
Easter recently changed trainers and is now working with Kevin Cunningham. “Lomachenko and Mikey are two skillful guys in the lightweight division and two guys I want to fight,” Easter said. “Me 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.”
مسابقه دو سر بوکس SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP شنبه در ساعت دوشنبه تکرار خواهد شد 10 p.m. ET / PT در SHOWTIME EXTREME.
# # #
برای اطلاعات بیشتر www.SHO.com/Sports, www.premierboxingchampions.comو www.staplescenter.comدر توییتر دنبال کنیدShowtimeBoxing, SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @LeoSantaCruz2, @AbnerMares, Ringstar, @TGBPromotions@STAPLESCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions و www.facebook.com/STAPLESCenter. PBC was sponsored by Corona and La Cerveza Mas Fina.