It was like watching the grainy footage of Rocky Graziano and Tony Zale’s third fight now in HD, like sitting ringside at Caesars Palace to relive Marvin Hagler-Tommy Hearns. It’s what many expected when Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares, two wildly popular Mexican sluggers who aren’t particularly fond of each other, were paired to fight at the Staples Center.
What transpired in the main event in the latest installment of the Premier Boxing Champions via PBC on ESPN series between Santa Cruz and Mares on Saturday night exceeded expectations.