By Jack Sumner @Jack_Sumner_
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| Leo Santa Cruz looking to become a 2-weight world champ. |
Rising star Leo Santa Cruz attempts to become a two-weight
world champion this Saturday, when he challenges Victor Terrazas for the
latter’s WBC super bantamweight crown at the StubHub Center in Carson,
California. The unbeaten Santa Cruz, who’s become one of the most acclaimed
young fighters in the sport over the past year, is then targeting a fight with
Abner Mares at featherweight should both men emerge victorious this weekend.
Mares headlines the show with his own WBC title defence
against veteran puncher Jhonny Gonzalez and a fight between the two
Californian-based Mexican’s would be a big attraction should it eventually come
off. Neither man can afford to overlook their respective opponents on Saturday
however and in Terrazas (37-2-1, 21 KO’s), Santa Cruz is faced with a
formidable champion who has dispatched a number of top names before.
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| Terrazas is the champ and presents a tough test for young Cruz. |
The Guadalajara native is on a run of eleven straight
victories, since a 2010 loss against former world title contender Rendall
Munroe. That loss aside, the 30-year-old has won 31 of his last 32 bouts,
claiming his most impressive scalp to date when he knocked down and outpointed
former three-division champion Fernando Montiel in late 2011. In his last
outing, Terrazas claimed the vacant WBC strap with a victory over Cristian
Mijares, a well regarded two-time super flyweight titlist who was coming off an
impressive string of victories.
Santa Cruz (24-0-1 14 KO’s) was impressive making his debut
at super bantamweight in May, when he scored a 5th round TKO of
Alexander Munoz on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather’s win over Robert
Guerrero. The 25-year-old dominated Munoz for four complete rounds with
relentless pressure and a brutal body attack, before a second knockdown midway
through the fifth forced the victim’s corner to stop the fight.
Almost 25% of Santa Cruz’s punches landed against Munoz were
sickening shots to the body, which has been a familiar sequence throughout much
of his career. Many consider that Santa Cruz is the best body puncher in the
game right now and with his unrelenting, come-forward style he’s been called a
lower weight version of Antonio Margarito.
Just like the Tijuana Tornado however, Santa Cruz takes
punches to give them and with those kind of holes in his defence, a more
experienced opponent with decent firepower could exploit that weakness. If
there’s one area that Terrazas holds the trump card in this fight, it’s
experience and if he can take the best of what Santa Cruz has to offer and land
his best shots on the youngster at close quarters, perhaps he can discourage
the favourite and cause the upset to defend his title.
That’s a big if however and on previous evidence, there’s
nothing to suggest Santa Cruz being discouraged. He has a fantastic engine also
and can likely fight in the trenches for the full twelve-rounds. Terrazas is
going to leave gaps himself as this promises to be a shootout between two
fighters who like to stand and trade at close quarters. It will be exciting
while it lasts, but one man should eventually be outgunned and if I were a
betting man, I’d say that will be Terrazas.
Santa Cruz to win by late stoppage, or a clear points win
with a late knockdown, to at least set tongues wagging about a clash with Mares
should he also emerge with his unbeaten record intact.
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