By Manny Magana
This fight was anticipated by many as an instant classic. At times it even seemed that it was the headlining event on May Day; don’t get me wrong I did say seemed.
At first Abner came in like a cheetah focused on its prey. He targeted his rival and went straight forward. It seemed even at first as Ponce de Leon counterattacked in the first two rounds. Some people I talked to even said Ponce had the edge but that’s your call. While De Leon got into a rhythm using his jab he surprisingly got knocked down with 6 seconds left in the second round. De Leon wasn’t badly hurt but it made him aware that mares can do damage at 126lbs.
You could see that the damage was more psychologically by Ponce’s demeanor. The next round or two Ponce became a little gun shy compared to earlier, but it was still a close bout. Slowly but surely this Guerrero Azteca came back strong but again so did Mares. For the remainder of the fight these warriors went toe to toe with mares having a slight advantage. Then round nine happened.
After a brief clinch Abner threw what I can only describe as an instinctive blind hook which caught Ponce de Leon square in the jaw. He went down instantly like a ragdoll, but in my surprise he got up and made the count. Abner then comes in throwing everything he has to finish Ponce out. As De Leon is trapped against the ropes the referee comes swooping in and stops the fight to my dismay. This is where it gets a little polemic.
I’ve watched the replay hundreds of times and I’ve come up with the same conclusion–It was a bad stoppage. I’m sure the majority of people that watched it agree. Just ask ShowTime commentator and fighter Paulie Malignaggi who was outraged. “Just look at his head “he said, “It’s clearly focused on Abner”. Not only was he still focused on his target but he was throwing punches too. I could see the same face on Ponce as the people that were with me enjoying the festivities, pure disappointment. We were promised a spectacle! A Cinco de Mayo war between two warriors and now it is cut short with stories of what ifs. Don’t get me wrong I give all credit to Mares who fought spectacular during the fight. He knocked down one of the toughest fighters in the featherweight division, showed he can take a punch, and he didn’t lose any speed by going up in weight. That night Abner Mares proved he is the real deal. He could now be considered one of the best pound for pound fighters out there.
Let’s face it though, in boxing anything can happen, and when fights end abruptly like this you just can’t help but wonder. Hopefully their manager Frank Espinoza works something out so the rematch can happen. Not only because Ponce de Leon deserved it but because us boxing fans are asking for it. There is a saying that goes “it aint over until the fat lady sings” and in this case it was Jay Nady.