Stevenson versus Mares anyone?
Well, it looks like we have a rather interesting fight brewing in the featherweight division. Last October, former world champion Abner Mares (31-3-1, 15 KO’s) posted a tweet listing two fighters he would love to mix it up with. One of those two boxers was “Fearless” Shakur Stevenson (14-0, 8 KO’s). Now, Shakur is aiming to cash in on the soft call out.
After reposting the original tweet, the New Jersey native inquired if Mares was ready for a January showdown. And without skipping a beat, the Guadalajara native said he would love to square off first thing next year. Now, we just have to see if all the behind-the-scenes business goes smoothly, resulting in this budding cordial rivalry.
HOW IT’S LOOKING
If the fight comes together, there is no doubt that Mares would be Stevenson’s most decorated professional opposition to date. In fact, Mares’ last four consecutive bouts were all title fights. On the flip side, Mares has been out of the ring for two and half years. Over the last several years, he has maintained a rather anemic fight schedule. The former three-division champion only competed once in 2016, 2017 and 2018 apiece.
This last stint has largely been due to injury. In January of 2019, Mares suffered a detached retina. The retina injury, the second of his professional career, was bad enough to have him pondering retirement. Thankfully after a successful surgery, and being green-lighted by the doctors, the Guadalajara boxer decided to stay in the game.
If the bout is made with Stevenson, there is no doubt that Mares’ eye and ring-rust will be serious variables in the overall outcome. For his part, Fearless has been extremely busy. After turning pro in 2017, he fought four times that year. Then, he competed five times in 2018 and four times in 2019. 2020 has only seen him in the ring one time, but that mainly due to complications brought on due to the COVID-19.
By: Bakari Simpson
