Boxing: Leo Santa Cruz to Fight Abner Mares Aug. 29 on ESPN

---

Boxing fans who have been both griping about and clamoring for unbeaten super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz to step up and fight elite-level competition needn’t fret anymore. It was announced on Thursday that Santa Cruz will finally climb into the ring and duke it out with former world champion Aber Mares next month.

Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs) has been tearing through everybody he’s faced to this point. The native Mexican captured the IBF bantamweight title in June 2012 and then added the WBC super bantam strap 14 months later and has looked sensational in doing so. However, after pounding out huge wins over the likes of former world champs Eric Morel, Alexander Munoz and Cristian Mijares, Santa Cruz hasn’t been able to land a marquee matchup. He’s been relegated to taking on challengers well below his skill level, thus eliciting collective groans from the boxing world.

Finally, the first “dream fight” of the lower classes in years will become a reality. Santa Cruz is set to lock horns with Mares, a 2004 Olympian and former three-division world champion, on Aug. 29. The fight will be held inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be televised live on ESPN as a part of Premier Boxing Champions’ PBC on ESPN program. The telecast will air live at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with select undercard bouts to be televised live on ESPN3. Tickets for the fight will go on sale tomorrow.

"This fight means so much to me because I know it is what the fans have been waiting for," Santa Cruz said in a statement. "The opportunity to fight at Staples Center against a Mexican warrior and great fighter in Abner Mares is one that I plan on taking very seriously. We have been preparing for this moment for a very long time and I'm so glad it's finally here. A win is going to take one of us to the next level."

Mares (29-1-1, 15 KOs) burst onto the boxing scene after capturing multiple amateur medals and representing Mexico in the ’04 Games. He was brought up through the ranks in typical fashion by feasting on plenty of regional opponents before finally capturing the IBF bantamweight title by defeating Joseph Agbeko. After besting Agbeko in their rematch of a highly-controversial initial bout that saw Mares with his hand raised, Abner toppled Morel to win the WBC super bantamweight crown. A year later, he stopped Daniel Ponce de Leon for the WBC featherweight championship before losing it to Jhonny Gonzalez via first-round knockout. Mares has bounced back from the only loss of his pro career by winning three straight, with his most recent outing being a unanimous 10-round decision over Arturo Santos Reyes in March.

"I'm really excited for this fight,” Mares said. “it's a fight the fans have been asking for and I'm ready to give them what they want -- a great show and a great victory," L.A. is my home, I train here, grew up here and I'm ready to show this city and the world that I am the champ.”

The co-main event and full undercard will be revealed in the coming weeks.