Morales: Abner Mares at the crossroads of a fine career

Abner Mares has always been that fighter you want to see do well. He is never looking to fight a patsy. He wants to tangle with only the meanest hombres. It’s his credo.

“Definitely, definitely,” Mares said. “It will grab people’s attention and that’s the key point I want to make. I’m the type of fighter that wants to leave his career known as the fighter that never took an easy route and faced the tough fighters at their moment, at their times. And God willing, always came out on top.

“It’s not always going to be the same as my last fight. It was a great fight, a fight against Leo that I didn’t win, but I got the respect from people.”

Mares, of Hawaiian Gardens, indeed has a list of top-quality opponents. He was referring to losing a grueling 12-round decision to fellow Angeleno Leo Santa Cruz in a battle for a vacant featherweight title in August at Staples Center.

Mares, who has won world titles in three weight classes, dusted himself off and has for the past several weeks been preparing for yet another top-line fighter. Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) on June 25 will challenge Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) for his featherweight world title at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (6 p.m., CBS).

This is a crossroads fight for Mares. At 30, he is getting to that age when a fighter in the lighter weights begins to show the wear and tear of many ring wars. Even though he distinguished himself respectfully against Santa Cruz, Mares changed trainers, going from Clemente Medina to Robert Garcia.

Mares wants to know what he has left, so he’s pulling out all the stops.

“Well, definitely what I want to prove to myself is that I still belong in this level type of fight against top fighters such as Cuellar, Leo or any other top-flight featherweight,” said Mares, whose two losses have come in his past five fights. “And I think the reason that, my two defeats, when you just go through them real quick, first-round knockout against Jhoy Gonzalez (in August 2013). It was just, he caught me cold.

“My fight against Leo Santa Cruz, it was a tough fight. We went 12 rounds, it was a candidate for Fight of the Year where I gave it my all. But at the end of the day, I think I fought the wrong game plan. I think I defeated myself by not following instructions and not fighting a perfect plan.”

Mares, an Artesia High graduate, is certain he still has the goods.

“I’ve got a lot more to give, I’m going to show (it),” he said. “Now with my new trainer and the new mindset that I have, I think I’m going to prove just that.”

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But again, Mares is trying to prove he’s still elite against a hard-hitting southpaw world champion whose only loss came nearly five years ago. Cuellar spoke like this could quickly tu into a toe-to-toe slugfest, so he must have something up his sleeve.

“We’re going to come out,” Cuellar said. “We’ve been training for this fight and we’re doing it on our strategies. We’ve been working on them. For this fight, if the opportunity presents itself, we’re going to take the fight to him.”

Fonfara vs. Smith Jr.

Joe Smith Jr. is 21-1 with 17 knockouts and a proud owner of a knockout ratio of 77 percent. Apparently, that doesn’t impress Andrzej Fonfara.

“I know he has a big punch, because he wins fights by knockout,” said Fonfara, who will take on Smith in the light heavyweight main event Saturday from UIC Pavilion in Chicago (5:30 p.m., NBC). “But who has he knocked out? The guy who was a little bit better, Will Rosinsky, he went the distance (with Smith). He has heavy, wide punches and we will be ready for him.”

Smith, of Long Island, N.Y., wasn’t quite as direct at Thursday’s final news conference. He did predict victory, however.

“Our styles are going to make for an exciting fight,” Smith said. “I expect a war, but I’m prepared for anything. All I know is, I’m going to end the night with my hand raised.”

Fonfara is from Chicago via Poland, so he’ll have the home-ring advantage.

ETC

In case you missed it, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico this week was ordered by a Miami-Dade, Fla., jury to pay $8.5 million to former promoter Felix “Tutico” Zabala Jr. of All-Star Boxing. Zabala sued Alvarez for breach of contract and unjust enrichment and Alvarez’s current promoter — Golden Boy Promotions — for tortuous interference. But Golden Boy was not held liable. ... The welterweight title fight between champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs) and Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs) will headline the card on which Mares and Cuellar will toil. ... Dominic Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian from Alhambra, on June 25 will get his first shot at a major title when he challenges Anthony Joshua (16-0. 16 KOs) of England for his heavyweight championship at O2 Arena in London (on Showtime).