Jhonny goes tap tap tap, then bam

08/25/2013 Paul Strauss

jhonny Jhonny Gonzalez was supposed to be on the way down. After all, hadn’t he lost an 8th round TD to Daniel Ponce DeLeon, a fighter that Mares stopped? The odds makers thought so, and so did most boxing analysts; although, most qualified their opinions by saying he had a puncher’s chance. They would go on to describe how well Mares successfully dealt with different styles to remain undefeated. Abner was more versatile than Jhonny. Well, it took Jhonny less than a round to fool Mares and prove all the detractors wrong.

The fight started with a relative calm. Jhonny moved in a circle around his shorter foe. Abner appeared to be studying, probing, looking for openings. The trio of Showtime announcers: Mauro Renallo, Al Bernstein and Paulie Malagnaggi discussed Jhonny’s remarks made in the pre-fight meeting. Apparently Jhonny remarked tat he needed to get his jab working against Mares, and that would be his key to victory. Saturday night at the Stubhub Center in Carson, CA, it didn’t look like Jhonny was following his own advice. The announcers pointed that out, explaining that Jhonny was just tapping out with his jab. There was no power or snap to it. It was not a jab that would keep Abner away.

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Photos: Jhonny Gonzalez Shocks Abner Mares, Santa Cruz Wins

08/25/2013 Showtime Boxing

In a leading candidate for Upset of the Year – and possible Knockout of the Year – former two-division world champion and knockout artist Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KO’s) registered a stunning 2:55, first-round knockout over previously unbeaten Abner Mares (26-1-1, 14 KO’s) Saturday on SHOWTIME® before 7,686 loud and enthusiastic fans at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Gonzalez’s shocking upset victory in the WBC featherweight title fight sets up a possible showdown with Leo Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KO’s), who scored two knockdowns en route to an impressive third-round knockout over defending WBC super bantamweight champion Victor Terrazas (37-3-1, 21 KO’s) in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature.

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Gonzalez stops Mares in 1st round!!! Santa Cruz obliterates Terrazas

08/25/201308/24/2013 Jeff Sorby

(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) WBC featherweight champion Abner Mares (26-1-1, 14 KO’s) was stopped in the 1st round tonight by the hard hitting challenger Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KO’s) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Gonzalez knocked Mares down twice with left hands near the end of the 1st round to get the stoppage. Referee Jack Reiss called a halt to the fight after the second knockdown, even though Mares was getting back up, and probably would have been able to make it out of the round. That’s the controversial part of it. Mares only had to stay on his feet for a short amount of time and he would have made it to the end of the round.

You can make an argument that Mares made two big mistakes in this fight that led to his defeat. His first mistake was to suddenly go after Gonzalez with 30 seconds left in the round. Mares showed no respect for Gonzalez’ power when he went after him, and that resulted in Marez getting nailed by a left hook that put him down on the canvas.

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Golden Boy/Showtime Doublerheader: One step closer to Abner Mares – Leo Santa Cruz

08/23/201308/23/2013 Chris Carlson

Abner Mares and Jhonny Gonzalez The newly renamed StubHub Center has been the mecca of boxing in southern California and this Showtime Doubleheader will only add to the recent string of action fights. From a matchmaking standpoint this card will produce fireworks to entertain the viewers at home. It also features top prospect talent for the paying customer live at the event. Will it be just a showcase to further drum up attention for the Mares vs. Santa Cruz fight, or will there be some unforeseen drama that happens when fans, promoters, and fighters have one eye on the future without fully focusing on the present?

Abner Mares faces a hardened vet in Jhonny Gonzalez, an awkward counterpuncher with plenty of power having scored 46 knockouts in his 54 wins.

Leo Santa Cruz challenges Victor Terrazas for the 1st defense of the belt won in his last fight with Cristian Mijares. If successful it will have been Leo’s second world title in as many weight classes.

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Mares vs. Gonzalez Final Press Conference Quotes and Photos

08/23/201308/22/2013 Showtime Boxing

Abner Mares and Jhonny Gonzalez CARSON, CALIF. (Aug. 22, 2013) – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions hosted the final press conference Thursday for the outstanding fight card that will take place this Saturday, Aug. 24, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, immediately following the series premiere of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo) and SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

In Saturday’s main event of an explosive world championship doubleheader on SHOWTIME, undefeated three-time and three-division World Champion Abner Mares (26-0-1, 14 KO’s), of Downey, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, will defend his WBC Featherweight World Championship against former Two-Division World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46 KO’s), of Mexico City.

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Abner Mares vs. Jhonny Gonzalez & Undercard Fighters Media Workout Quotes

08/21/2013 Golden Boy Promotions

mZGwiS-N4zgvJTGRfRTeOgRi1XCN-To0_rU62vydmFk (Photo credit: Golden Boy Promotions) CARSON, CALIF. (Aug. 21, 2013) – Six of the fighters who’ll compete this Saturday, Aug. 24, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, Immediately following the series premiere of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo) and SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT) worked out for the media Tuesday at a jam-packed Fabela Chavez Boxing Center in Carson, Calif.

In Saturday’smainevent on SHOWTIME, undefeated three-time and three-division World Champion Abner Mares (26-0-1, 14 KO’s), of Downey, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, will defend his WBC Featherweight World Championship against former Two-Division World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46 KO’s), of Mexico City.

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Abner Mares, Jhonny Gonzalez, Leo Santa Cruz & Victor Terrazas media conference call transcript

08/21/201308/20/2013 Showtime Boxing

Richard Schaefer

Thank you very much and thank you all media members to be on the call, thank you to both fighters to be on the call. I remember a couple years ago we did a card called Action Heroes and then we, of course, just had another one a few weeks ago, Knockout Kings 2 and I think this card here from the Stub Hub Center would certainly fit perfectly into either one of those cards. Because one thing, which is for sure, that night, on Saturday night the 24th of August from Stub Hub Center, fists will fly, it will be heavy action and it’s going to be a tremendous night of boxing again.

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Mares vs. Gonzalez and Terrazas vs. Santa Cruz sizzle Video

08/21/201308/20/2013 Showtime Boxing

Undefeated WBC Featherweight World Champion Abner Mares will make the first defense of his title in his sixth consecutive championship fight this Saturday on SHOWTIME. He will be opposed by a man who used to hold the WBC crown and made four successful defenses – hard-hitting two-time world champ Jhonny Gonzalez.

In Saturday’s co-feature, streaking WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas stands in the way of unbeaten rising star and former bantamweight king Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz’s quest to be a two-division world champ.

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Abner Mares and Leo Santa Cruz quotes from Los Angeles

07/12/2013 Golden Boy Promotions

LOS ANGELES (July 12, 2013) – At a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, Golden Boy Promotions formally announced a world championship doubleheader that will take place Saturday, Aug. 24, at StubHub Center (formerly The Home Depot Center) in Carson, Calif. and which will be televised live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

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Abner Mares vs. Jhonny Gonzalez and Leo Santa Cruz vs. Victor Terrazas on August 24th on Showtime

07/11/2013 Golden Boy Promotions

1413 1413 LOS ANGELES (July 11, 2013) – On the verge of becoming boxing’s next superstar, Three-Time, Three-Division World Champion and current WBC Featherweight World Champion Abner Mares has remarkably won three divisional world titles in less than two years. On Saturday, August 24, he will return home to Southern California to defend his title against a man hungry to take that belt back, former Two-Division World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez at StubHub Center in Carson in a fight which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®(10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

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