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Abner Mares targets a fall return against Jesus Cuellar in California

Photo: Abel Madrid
Fighters Network
27
Jul

Abner Mares is targeting a return in the fall in either late September or early October against featherweight contender Jesus Cuellar in a bout that will likely take place in California at a venue to be determined, trainer Robert Garcia told RingTV.com on Wednesday. Garcia trains Mares and has had talks with Cuellar’s manager, Sebastian Contursi about the fight going forward, he said.

Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) and Cuellar were supposed to meet on June 25 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn but the bout was called off after the New York State Athletic Commission refused to license Mares because of a medical issue. Sources said problems with Mares’ vision forced the cancellation. Garcia blamed the New York Commission’s overly cautious licensing standards as the reason the fight was terminated. Cellar (28-1, 21 KOs) holds a secondary WBA featherweight title.

“He was going to fight here in New York,” Garcia told RingTV.com on Wednesday at a public workout for brother Mikey Garcia, who faces Elio Rojas Saturday at Barclays Center on Showtime. “The exams here are a little bit different. California okays him; Nevada okays him and Texas already gives him the okay. So the fight is going to happen in California, that’s what I’ve been told.”

Mares, a former three-division champion, is serving as an Olympic boxing commentator for the Summer Games in Rio so the fight would have to be in the fall, Garcia said. “I would have loved for the fight to happen in August or September,” Garcia said. “But now I would prefer for it be either late September or early October because of his work as a commentator.”



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