On Saturday in Carson, California at the StubHub Center, WBA Super Featherweight champion Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz (33-1-1, 18 KO) will defend his title against Chris "The Hitman" Avalos (27-5, 20 KO).
This is Santa Cruz's first defense of the title since regaining it from Carl Frampton in January in a rematch of their July 2016 scrap. There are several fights that could be appealing matchups for Santa Cruz down the road, but he's got to beat Avalos first.
Santa Cruz has sparred with Avalos in the past, so both men are familiar with one another. However, don't take that to mean this bout will be competitive. In fact, we're just hoping Avalos makes it out in one piece.
How To Watch
The fight is the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on Fox broadcast. It will begin on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Other Televised Fights
Former champion and Santa Cruz foe, Abner Mares will be in action as well. He will take on Andres Gutierrez in what could be a much more competitive fight.
Title On The Line
The WBA Super Featherweight crown is at stake in this fight. This is the fifth consecutive time Santa Cruz has fought to win, retain or regain this belt. He's 4-1 in those fights. This will be the first shot at a legitimate world championship for Avalos.
Latest Odds
To call Santa Cruz a favorite in this fight is a massive understatement. The 29-year-old from Huetamo, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico is a minus-10000 favorite while Avalos is a plus-1600 underdog.
Last Time Out
Santa Cruz won a majority decision over Frampton and regained the title after dropping a close majority decision to the Irishman in July 2016. Santa Cruz employed a smarter gameplan that utilized his size and jab to subdue the smaller and quicker Frampton.
It was the best performance of Santa Cruz's career considering the opponent.
Avalos scored a stoppage victory over Miguel Flores in July when the doctor advised the referee to stop the fight. It was a controversial ending because Flores was up on all three of the judges' scorecards when the stoppage occurred, but Avalos was having a great fifth round.
Nonetheless, Avalos is back for a relatively quick turnaround.
Santa Cruz Has Big Plans
In the interview above, Santa Cruz says he's not looking past Avalos, but he already knows who he wants his next three opponents to be. Santa Cruz is looking at rematching Mares, whom he already beat. He also wants to complete the trilogy with Frampton and then move up to 130 pounds to face the winner of the Vasyl Lomachenko-Guillermo Rigondeaux bout.
There are obvious promotional impediments that could hinder those fights, but in a perfect world, we'd see Santa Cruz battle Lomachenko or Rigondeaux.
Avalos Says He's Seen Cracks In Santa Cruz's Game
After sparring with Santa Cruz, Avalos believes he's seen some holes in El Terremoto's game. Of course, almost every underdog/former sparring partner says things like that before a fight. We'll see if Avalos' claims have any merit.
This Is A Massive Mismatch
Avalos is 2-3 in his last five fights and he's been stopped in all three of his losses. He's dropped those fights to Frampton, Oscar Valdez, and Mark Magsayo. Avalos' weak chin and small stature appear to make him a perfect candidate for another KO loss at the hands of Santa Cruz.
What's On The Horizon For Winner
A win for Santa Cruz almost certainly sets up a rematch with Mares–if he can get past Gutierrez earlier in the evening. A victory for Avalos might result in a rematch with Santa Cruz, but who am I kidding?
Fight Prediction
Santa Cruz is going to destroy Avalos inside of five rounds with pressure, poise, and hard punches. Santa Cruz is too strong and skilled for Avalos and it won't take a long time for us to see which fighter is the better man in this bout.
