The crowd had filled in by the start of the third bout of Showtime’s PPV broadcast, as Mexican Abner Mares made his return to the ring after almost a year off against Puerto Rican Jonathan Oquendo. The last time we saw Mares in the right was last August at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, were he was stopped in the first round by veteran Johnny Gonzalez.
The “Mexico, Mexico” chants started seconds after the opening bell, as both fighters met in the center of the ring. Both men looked sharp and focused on their strategies, trying to set the pace. It was a close first round that could’ve went either way. It was more of the same through the early rounds, with Mares staying disciplined, keeping his hands up and working behind his jab. As the rounds progressed, Mares took advantage of Oquendo’s high guard and began to rip shots to the body.