Southland-based super-bantamweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz will take the major test many have pushed him for when he meets former three-division champion Abner Mares on Aug. 29 at Staples Center.
Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 knockouts) told The Times on Thursday he and Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs) have each verbally agreed to the bout, and a representative of the fighters’ promoter, Premier Boxing Champions, confirmed the site deal is signed.
“I can’t wait. It’s the fight everyone has wanted for me,” Santa Cruz told The Times.
The La Habra fighter has drawn criticism after taking three consecutive dubious assignments, including his unanimous-decision victory over little-known Jose Cayetano on the May 2 undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr.