Notebook: Mares on return after 4 years: 'I just want the satisfaction of coming back'

Former 3-division titlist fights on Sunday's Ruiz-Ortiz card; Quick hits; Show & tell

Sep 01, 2022

Abner Mares is on the Ruiz vs. Ortiz card. Click photo to order on PPV.com

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Abner Mares is probably more recognized by boxing fans these days for his role as a ringside analyst on Showtime than for his fine career as a longtime fan favorite and three-division world titleholder.

But just because Mares has not boxed for more than four years — since a competitive decision loss in a featherweight title rematch against Leo Santa Cruz in June 2018 — doesn’t mean he hasn’t wanted to continue his boxing career.

His time away was not all voluntary. He was due to challenge then-junior lightweight titlist Gervonta “Tank” Davis in February 2019 but withdrew shortly before the fight after suffering a torn retina. Then there was the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed his plans for a comeback.

Finally, the situation was right and he is back to see what he has left at age 36, and after having gone though a litany of medical examinations both by his doctors and one from the California State Athletic Commission.

They gave him the green light to carry on with his career and that is just what Mares will do when he faces Miguel Flores (25-4, 12 KOs), 29, of Spring, Texas, in a 10-round lightweight bout on the pay-per-view undercard of the semifinal title elimination fight between former unified heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz Jr. and former two-time title challenger Luis “King Kong” Ortiz on Sunday (9 p.m. ET, Fox PPV, FITE and PPV.com, $74.99) at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, Mares’ home area.

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“This fight I’m doing for me and the satisfaction of coming back,” Mares told Fight Freaks Unite. “I’m definitely not taking it for granted. It’s been four years and there is no day that I walk out of my house and hear, ‘Hey, champ, when are you coming back? Who are you fighting?’ It’s overwhelming. It’s really nice.”

Mares has won world titles at bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight and was a main event regular on Showtime for years. He made good money and wanted to make sure his fans knew that he was not making a ring return because he is cash strapped.

“You’re gonna get the comments that you’re coming back for the money,” Mares said. “There’s obvious reasons. Nobody works for free. That’s a plus, we’re making money. But at the same time these fights, next two, one, three, whatever I do, I’m just gonna really enjoy myself.”

Mares, who besides his Showtime gig has been investing in real estate, apartments in particular, said his motivation for returning was due to spending a lot of time at ringside in his role with Showtime watching fighters in the 130 to 135 weight range he believed he could beat.

“That really motivated me to come back, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it — there’s some fighters you look at and I’m like, ‘Man, I can beat this guy! Why don’t I give it another try?’ That’s just me being real,” Mares said. “I’m happy to be given the opportunity but it wasn’t just given to me. I want to clarify that. I did have to go through all types of procedures. Some people are concerned about my health. We all know about my eye injury. I love the sport and they’re giving me an opportunity to come back and I’m gonna take it.”

Before he went all in on the return he said he had to discuss it with his wife and kids. They had different reactions.

“The kids were excited. My wife? Not so much,” he said. “She was like, ‘Why? You got a steady job, we got other things going.’ But once you explain to your loved one why you’re coming back, the passion, the love, they truly understand. She understood.”

He said he also spoke to Showtime and got the blessing to miss broadcasts if he needed to while in training camp.

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Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs), 36, of Montebello, California, has been planning a comeback for about a year. He said he underwent a variety of medical exams not only with his own eye doctor and retina specialist but also with the doctor the CSAC sent him to.

“They made sure things were right,” Mares said, adding that the commission also sent representatives to the gym to watch him spar and assess him before could get a boxing license.

His serious thoughts about coming back were triggered by watching Davis knock out Mario Barrios in June 2021.

“I’ve been wanting to (come back) but I didn’t want to rush into it,” Mares said. “I would go to the gym and be like, ‘Nah, I don’t like it.’ I was already working for Showtime and I was like, ‘I got a good job, I’m doing good.’ It wasn’t until one of Tank’s fights (against Barrios) and I was watching him and I was like, ‘Man, I was gonna fight this guy.’ I’m not saying I’m looking for an opportunity to fight Tank, I’m just saying that’s what triggered it.”

His next step was to contact Andy Foster, the executive director of the California commission to get the ball rolling on getting licensed and going through the medical requirements.

“I was happy to be back in the gym and I have not left the boxing gym,” he said. “For a 36 year old guy out of the ring for 4½ years the body that I have is a guy that’s been in the gym this whole time.”

He is not looking too far ahead, only at Flores, before he decides whether to continue.

“Depending how I do, how I look this next fight, is gonna determine everything else,” Mares said. “If I don’t look good this fight what’s the purpose? Why am I gonna put myself in a dangerous position. But if you see an Abner Mares that (looks good), we’ll go for another one. Only time will tell.

“For now, I’m not chasing a world title fight. I’m just going in to see what happens. I just want the satisfaction of coming back and to give my fans here in California a great show.”

Quick hits

Lightweight prospect Jose Valenzuela (12-0, 8 KOs), 23, of Seattle, will have a new opponent in Edwin De Los Santos for the 10-round opening fight of the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Luis Ortiz PBC pay-per-view card on Sunday night at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. Sources told Fight Freaks Unite that De Los Santos (14-1, 13 KOs), 22, a southpaw from the Dominican Republic, was on standby and pressed into service on this week because Valenzuela’s original foe, former junior lightweight titlist Jezreel Corrales (26-4, 10 KOs), 30, also a southpaw, was denied a visa to come to the United States due to legal issues.

The Boxxer-promoted card headlined by former junior middleweight titlist Liam Smith (31-3-1, 18 KOs), 34, against Tanzania native Hassan Mwakinyo (20-2, 14 KOs), 27, on Saturday in Smith’s hometown of Liverpool, England, will be available to stream live in the United States as a $9.99 pay-per-view on FITE (10 a.m. ET).

International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Mogens Palle, the leading promoter for decades in Denmark, died on Saturday due to cancer. He was 88. Palle promoted his first boxing event in 1957 at age 23 and guided numerous top Danish pros, including the greatest of them all, Mikkel Kessler, as well as Brian Nielsen, Thomas Damgaard, Jimmy Bredahl and some fighters who weren’t from Denmark, including Ayub Kalule. According to the Hall of Fame, Palle promoted 27 European champions and eight world champions. He also promoted fights involving Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Sonny Liston, Carlos Monzon, Emile Griffith and Ken Buchanan. Palle, who worked for years alongside his daughter, Bettina Palle, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008. On April 21, in Copenhagen, Palle, who was already fighting cancer, promoted his farewell card.

Panya Pradabsri (39-1, 23 KOs), 31, of Thailand, made his third successful defense of the WBC strawweight title, winning a unanimous decision against late replacement Norihito Tanaka (20-9, 10 KOs), 37, of Japan, on Wednesday in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Tanaka replaced Japan’s Tsubasa Koura. Pradabsri kept the 105-pound title by scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112.

Show and tell

Rocky Marciano is one of the greatest legends in boxing history. He was a popular heavyweight champion, made six title defenses and retired with a 49-0 record (with 43 KOs). His perfect record became a major part of his legacy. During his 1947 to 1955 career, “The Brockton Blockbuster” beat fellow Hall of Famers such as Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott (twice), Ezzard Charles (twice) and Archie Moore and was an American hero. He died in a plane crash in Newton, Iowa, on Aug. 31, 1969 — one day shy of his 46th birthday — 53 years ago on Wednesday. Here is a Marciano rookie card from the iconic 1951 Topps Ringside set in my collection.