Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KO) re-ignited his buzz with a thrilling victory over Abner Mares on Saturday night. Santa Cruz earned a unanimous decision over an ex-champion, and threw more than 1,000 punches in the process in a Fight of the Year candidate.
After the show he put on, there will be a clamor for Santa Cruz to continue facing challenging opponents like Mares, rather than soft opposition that caused his stock to drop. That kind of matchmaking is a hallmark of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) founder Al Haymon, but there are too many big fights possible at featherweight to ignore.
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Gary Russell Jr. (26-1-0, 15 KO)
Russell was once one of the hottest fighters on the planet, but weak opposition, and a loss to Vasyl Lomachenko, stunted his popularity. Russell’s competition has been stiffer since he took on Lomachenko, and his TKO victory in March over Jhonny Gonzalez proved that he has the goods to remain an elite fighter.
Santa Cruz wins his fights because of his aggression and activity. Against Russell, he will need to improve his defense because there may not be a fighter in the world with faster hands. Russell could give Santa Cruz fits; on the flip side, beating Russell would be a major success for Santa Cruz and cement him as a clear top-10 fighter pound-for-pound.
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Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KO)
Don’t let the record fool you. Lomachenko is one of the most decorated amateur fighters of all-time, and that sole loss came against a grossly overweight Orlando Salido. Like Russell, Lomachenko is a premier offensive fighter with incredible hand speed and accuracy. In fact, Lomachenko is so good there’s almost no chance Haymon would put Santa Cruz in the ring with him.
If they fought, Lomachenko would be the betting favorite. Santa Cruz’s pressure can get to any opponent, but his lack of defense could be a fatal flaw. Lomachenko has more power than Mares, and might be able to put Santa Cruz down.
Nicholas Walters (26-0, 21 KO)
Walters, nicknamed “The Axe Man” is the top dog at featherweight. If fans want action, Santa Cruz vs. Walters would provide it. Walters burst onto the national consciousness with an upset over Nonito Donaire that shocked the casual fan, but didn’t surprise hardcore boxing observers.
Like Lomachenko, Walters is likely too scary an opponent to put Santa Cruz in with at this point. Santa Cruz would not be a betting favorite, and although pitting two unbeaten fighters against one another is a dream for fans, the risk Walters presents isn’t something Haymon is going to jump at.
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