The day, August 13, Showtime's bantamweight bout final comes to its overdue decision as Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares goes head to head in Las Vegas. Undefeated boxer star Abner Mares will battle Joseph Agbeko Fight on Showtime. The world championship fight will be promoted by Don King Productions and Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
You got your bet? Both have something to show, and both are near the top of the bantamweight division, behind only pound-for-pound star Nonito Donaire. Agbeko has experience on his side, but Mares has youth, and both have faced good competition, including each man having fought Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez.
The said to be end game will obviously be the health of Agbeko (28-2, 22 KO). The 31-year-old Ghanaian, now based in the Bronx, NY came down with sudden onset sciatica in April when these two were supposed to finish the tournament, but by all accounts is in great fighting condition. If that injury took a lot out of him, he's clearly at a disadvantage with someone as good, young, and already battle-tested as Abner Mares. But if he's in good shape, Agbeko has always been in the fight with everyone.
This will be a great challenge for Mares once again, and the 25-year-old Mexican rising star seems to have a rare ambition. Even in a sport where there are a lot of fighters with great drive, hunger, and passion, Mares comes off like a guy who is exceptionally driven, with very lofty goals. He's shown a lot of heart in his last two fights, and will surely use that again against Agbeko.