Leo Santa Cruz Looks To Win And Please Crowd
Leo Santa Cruz Looks To Win And Please Crowd
Undefeated 3-division world champion Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz makes the first defense of his WBA Featherweight title against former world champion Kiko Martinez on Saturday.
By Kendrick E. Johnson
Despite the sport of boxing being based the around the principle of delivering hits and not receiving hits, many boxing fans, hold action packed fighters in the highest esteem no matter their record or pedigree.
Saturday night, the man many feel is the best action fighter in the boxing game today makes his highly anticipated return to ring. Undefeated three-division world champion Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz makes the first defense of his WBA Featherweight World Championship against former world champion Kiko Martinez.
"My fighting style is to always go forward and throw a lot of punches. I just want to entertain the fans,” Santa Cruz said after a recent workout. “I fight for [fans], and I try to send them home happy. I always train to make a statement. I want to go out there and show everyone that I'm really good and I deserve to be considered one of the best.”
The popular Mexican-American Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs), fighting out of Los Angeles, won the 126-pound title against former three-division champ Abner Mares last August in an action packed "Fight of the Year" candidate fight. With savage uppercuts and brutal power shots from the opening bell, the combatants threw more than 2,000 punches combined with Santa Cruz connecting on 35 percent of his total 1,050 punches to win by majority decision.
Santa Cruz is looking to add to his legacy by adding another victim to his record. Martinez will be fighting in the United States for only the second time in his career is just happy he’s in another high profile fight, with the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the best action fighter in the business.
"I'm thrilled to be fighting Leo Santa Cruz, but getting this fight was a total surprise because I already had a fight scheduled,'' said Martinez, who trains at his friend and manager, former world super middleweight champion Sergio Martinez' gym in Spain. “I was very happy and very emotional when I heard about this fight. It was one of the best days of my life when I agreed to fight Santa Cruz. Now, more boxing fans will get to see me. I will not take one step back. I will come forward the whole fight.”
Although Martinez is not a household name in boxing circles, this isn’t his first time on the big stage. Martinez has lost three high-profile fights in recent years to super bantamweight world champions - twice to Carl Frampton (IBF) and once to Scott Quigg (WBA).
With those three big losses on his record, the Santa Cruz fight might be Martinez’s last chance to show the world he’s an elite caliber boxer.
“It's a huge fight in the United States and a great opportunity,” Martinez said. “Some people don't think I can fight because I lost to those guys [Frampton and Quigg], but they are wrong. I am as determined as ever. I'm going to fight a great fight and come out with a victory.''
Despite the sport of boxing being based the around the principle of delivering hits and not receiving hits, many boxing fans, hold action packed fighters in the highest esteem no matter their record or pedigree.
Saturday night, the man many feel is the best action fighter in the boxing game today makes his highly anticipated return to ring. Undefeated three-division world champion Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz makes the first defense of his WBA Featherweight World Championship against former world champion Kiko Martinez.
"My fighting style is to always go forward and throw a lot of punches. I just want to entertain the fans,” Santa Cruz said after a recent workout. “I fight for [fans], and I try to send them home happy. I always train to make a statement. I want to go out there and show everyone that I'm really good and I deserve to be considered one of the best.”
The popular Mexican-American Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs), fighting out of Los Angeles, won the 126-pound title against former three-division champ Abner Mares last August in an action packed "Fight of the Year" candidate fight. With savage uppercuts and brutal power shots from the opening bell, the combatants threw more than 2,000 punches combined with Santa Cruz connecting on 35 percent of his total 1,050 punches to win by majority decision.
Santa Cruz is looking to add to his legacy by adding another victim to his record. Martinez will be fighting in the United States for only the second time in his career is just happy he’s in another high profile fight, with the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the best action fighter in the business.
"I'm thrilled to be fighting Leo Santa Cruz, but getting this fight was a total surprise because I already had a fight scheduled,'' said Martinez, who trains at his friend and manager, former world super middleweight champion Sergio Martinez' gym in Spain. “I was very happy and very emotional when I heard about this fight. It was one of the best days of my life when I agreed to fight Santa Cruz. Now, more boxing fans will get to see me. I will not take one step back. I will come forward the whole fight.”
Although Martinez is not a household name in boxing circles, this isn’t his first time on the big stage. Martinez has lost three high-profile fights in recent years to super bantamweight world champions - twice to Carl Frampton (IBF) and once to Scott Quigg (WBA).
With those three big losses on his record, the Santa Cruz fight might be Martinez’s last chance to show the world he’s an elite caliber boxer.
“It's a huge fight in the United States and a great opportunity,” Martinez said. “Some people don't think I can fight because I lost to those guys [Frampton and Quigg], but they are wrong. I am as determined as ever. I'm going to fight a great fight and come out with a victory.''