By Ryan Burton
Los Angeles, Calif. - Four-time champion and newly crowned WBA featherweight champion Abner Mares (30-2-1, 15KOs) was still beaming after his split decision victory over Jesus Cuellar at the Galen Center on the USC campus. The bout headlined a Showtime Championship Boxing doubleheader.
Mares won by the scores of 116-111 and 117-110 on two cards while the third judge, Kenny Bayless, felt Cuellar won the fight 115-112. Most ringside observers and Mares himself felt that he had won most of the rounds.
"I felt like I dominated every single round of the fight and to get a split decision, I was like please God don't let them steal this fight from me and thank God they didn't," Mares remarked after the fight.
The fight was Mares' first under the tutelage of Robert Garcia who used to train Cuellar. Mares said that the game plan was to avoid Cuellar's size advantage and power and for the most part he was able to follow that plan perfectly.
Cuellar was trained by hall of fame coach Freddie Roach and for the most part was unable to cut off the ring.
"I knew he was strong and I knew he would come forward and he did just that and I was smart enough to give him angles. There were a few times I didn't do that but I was able to go back to boxing," Mares explained.
Cuellar hit the canvas in the 11th round and rose to his feet on unsteady legs. Mares let his hands go and the referee appeared close to stopping the fight but Cuellar was able to escape danger and finish the round. Mares felt that he probably could have got him out of there but nevertheless is happy with a dominant victory.
"I felt like I could stop this kid. I felt like if I pressured him a little more I could have done it but I am satisfied with the victory. When I threw that flurry of like 6 or 7 punches I thought they would stop it but they didn't," Mares told BoxingScene.com.
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