Featherweight world champion Jesus Cuellar and former three-division world champion Abner Mares will meet in a long-awaited world championship showdown this Saturday, December 10 at Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles. The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET with junior middleweight world champion Jermall Charlo and top-rated challenger Julian Williams in a battle of undefeated rising stars in their prime.
The hard-hitting Cuellar of Argentina and the decorated Mares of Southern California shared some fun facts and spoke about their interests outside of boxing before they lace up the gloves and meet in the center of the ring on December 10.
Read below to learn more about the two fighters before their main event showdown:
JESUS CUELLAR
1. If you could have one super power, what would it be?
It would be super strength. My nephew already calls me The Incredible Hulk.
2. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m a very good cook. I can cook lots of things for myself. I love cooking for my family.
3. What is your favorite snack?
A torta dulce, a sweet sandwich served in Latin American countries throughout the world.
4. Least favorite food?
I hate pickles.
5. What do you do for extra motivation?
I watch the movie “300” during training and before fights.
6. What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is “Martin Fierro,” a 2316-line poem written by Argentina’s Jose Hernandez.
7. If you weren’t a boxer, what would you be doing?
I would want to be a horse jockey. Their job is very interesting. My body would look a lot different, but I think I could be good at it.
8. What is one of your most impressive physical feats?
I’ve done as many as 1,200 sit-ups in a day.
9. Do you have any fight night superstitions?
It’s not really a superstition, but I wear red and white in the ring during every fight.
10. If you could have dinner with one historical figure who would it?
It would be former unified middleweight world champion and Argentine legend Carlos Monzon.
ABNER MARES
1. What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a ‘dance dad.’ My oldest daughter Emily is on a dance team that went to the national championship in Connecticut when I fought Leo Santa Cruz. We stopped the workout at the track and the entire team huddled around my iPhone to watch her. It made me really proud – she did really well! She has her winter recital on the night of the fight, but I’m hoping to watch part of it on Facetime while I’m in the locker room.
2. What is a guilty pleasure you have?
It’s definitely my collection of sports cars. I call it my ‘auto wardrobe.’ My favorites are the different Mercedes I have.
3. What’s the most extravagant thing you own?
I wrapped one of my Mercedes in pure gold. That would have to be it.
4. Do you have any business endeavors outside of boxing?
My wife and I just opened up “Nathalie’s Essence of Beauty.” It’s a full service makeup salon in Downey that I’m excited to see grow.
5. What is a food you hate?
Olives. I’ve never liked them and I never will.
6. Who’s your favorite musician?
My favorite music is from Ariel Camacho. He was a regional Mexican singer who died in a car accident in 2015 in Sinaloa, Mexico. He walked me out for my fight against Oquendo and then the band walked me out for my fight against Santa Cruz after Ariel had passed. The band is called Los Plebes de Rancho and “El Karma” is a must-have CD.
7. What is your ideal birthday present?
The one thing my friends always get me that I love is cologne. I have cologne from all different brands from all over the world. I like smelling good.
8. What is your favorite snack?
Definitely a Snickers bar. They’re another guilty pleasure, but not during training camp.
9. If you could have dinner with one historical figure, who would it be?
I would say Pablo Escobar. He’s a guy I couldn’t pass up meeting.
10. If you weren’t a boxer, what would you be doing?
I would want to be an architect. I love the art, structure and function of buildings – homes and offices. From the design, to the way it’s used, it’s something I’m very interested in.
