Hard-hitting featherweight world champion Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) is set to take on Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) in a title showdown that headlines a Premier Boxing Champions event on Saturday, December 10 live on SHOWTIME from USC’s Galen Center in Los Angeles.
The Showtime event begins with super welterweight world champion Jermall Charlo (24-0, 18 KOs) meeting top-ranked contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams (22-0-1, 14 KOs) in a highly anticipated matchup of undefeated stars.
“This is the most important fight of my career as Mares is one of the best in this loaded featherweight division,” Cuellar said. “We had to wait very long for this fight to happen, but everything happens for a reason and I’m grateful that the time is almost here. I know that this fight will be a war. I’ve been working hard with Freddie Roach and I’m excited to show what I’ve learned and get my frustration of waiting off my chest. I am more motivated than ever to keep my title and prove who is the best in the division.”
“I’m excited to get back in the ring and win my fourth world title,” said Mares. “I’m 100 percent healthy and ready to go. I’m looking forward to showing that to my fans and the entire audience on December 10. Los Angeles is my town. This is a fight that I’ve wanted and I’m glad to be giving the fans a great show at the end of the year. Come watch me on December 10 and see what a warrior looks like.”
“Camp for me started a month after I defeated Austin Trout,” said Charlo. “From that point on, I’ve been in the gym working and I got my vision corrected, so I’m feeling great. I’m looking forward to putting my clearer vision to the test and I’m so prepared and ready for this fight. This is everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s the best fighting the best. Julian brings an undefeated record to the table and I know he’s watched a lot of my past fights because we always knew we would fight one day. So who’s the best? We’ll find out, but I know I’m ready to rumble.”
“I’m excited to get my first title shot, but more than anything I’m just focused on winning,” said Williams. “Jermall Charlo is strong and fast, but I will be better than him on December 10. I’ve been waiting for this fight for the longest time and I know this will be a great night for the fans. I plan on giving them an exciting, explosive fight and most importantly a win.”
The action-packed doubleheader features two evenly matched showdowns as all four men, firmly in the top 10 in their division, will enter the ring believing that they will be the one leaving with a belt around their waist. Cuellar and Mares look for supremacy in a crowded featherweight division brimming with contenders while Charlo and Williams each look for a career-defining performance to boost their burgeoning profiles.
“I am elated to be promoting this great night of action for boxing fans around the world,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman and CEO of Ringstar Sports. “Both of these fights are 50-50 match-ups with a lot on the line. These are fights that the fans want to see and pose challenges that these fighters are eager to face. They will have a great stage at the Galen Center at USC and on SHOWTIME to prove that they are amongst the best in the world. I couldn’t be coming back to the sport with a better fight card and I know that the real winner on December 10 will be the fans.”
“We’re very excited to present this highly anticipated featherweight world title fight between Jesus Cuellar and Abner Mares,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “I’m thrilled to work with Richard Schaefer on the debut promotion of Ringstar Sports and look forward to many more world-class collaborative events. I also want to thank Stephen Espinoza and the SHOWTIME team along with the Galen Center staff for their help in making what will undoubtedly be an outstanding night of boxing.”
“These two world title fights exemplify what SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING has and will continue to deliver – true ‘pick-em’ fights between top-rated fighters in the prime of their career,,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Cuellar vs. Mares is arguably the toughest to predict of the five featherweight world championships we’ve presented this year. And in Charlo vs. Williams, our latest in a series of significant bouts at 154-pounds, we have a prime example of how great this sport can be. These are major fights between the top players in two of boxing’s deepest divisions.”
A fast-rising star out of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cuellar isworking toward his 12th consecutive victory when he gets in the ring to defend his 126-pound title against Mares. His power in both hands has helped him deliver seven knockouts in his last 10 victories, including an eighth-round knockout of former world champion Vic Darchinyan in June 2015. The 29-year-old won his world title with a unanimous decision over Claudio Marrero in his U.S. debut in August 2013. He went on to defend his title against Rico Ramos, Juan Manuel Lopez and Ruben Tamayo.
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif., Mares won his first title in 2011 when he beat Joseph Agbeko to capture the bantamweight crown. He continued to rise in the pound-for-pound list with victories over Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon to win world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight. The 30-year-old won three straight fights leading to a massive showdown with Leo Santa Cruz last August. Mares showed the same explosiveness that made him a multiple-division world champion in a thrilling “Fight of the Year” candidate which he lost by majority decision. The always-exciting Mares will enter the ring for the first time under the tutelage of renowned trainer Robert Garcia and strength coach Luis Garcia as he seeks to capture another world title.
Twin brother of fellow 154-pound world champion Jermell, Jermall Charlowill be making the third defense of the super welterweight crown he won last September with a dominant stoppage over Cornelius Bundrage. The 26-year-old is coming off of a career-best, hard-fought decision over crafty former world champion Austin Trout in May in Las Vegas. Training with Ronnie Shields in Houston, Charlo will look to silence Williams and stake his claim as the best in the division.
One of the most highly regarded young stars in boxing, Williams, of Philadelphia, will be getting his first world title opportunity. The 26-year-old has dismantled opponents on his way to accumulating an unbeaten record. Williams solidified his status as a fast-rising star by defeating veterans Luciano Cuello and Arman Ovsepyan in addition to a shutout victory over contender Joey Hernandez in 2015. He earned his No. 1 ranking and title fight by stopping Italy’s Marcello Matano in the seventh round in March.
