Abner Mares at a crossroads as he challenges Jesus Cuellar

Abner Mares is set to challenge WBA “regular” featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar on December 10 as part of the first of five major fight cards recently announced by Showtime. For Mares, a loss to Cuellar could reduce him to elite opponent status.

The road back to the championship level for Abner Mares following his shocking knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez in August of 2013 was a winding one. It took Mares two years and three wins over pedestrian opposition to position himself for another shot at top honors — this time against volume-punching dynamo Leo Santa Cruz.

Although he started the fight with dogged abandon, putting Santa Cruz on his back foot early, Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) was outfought down the stretch in what turned out to be a thrilling contest. Despite the loss, Mares exorcised some demons from his bludgeoning at the hands of Gonzalez, although the former three-weight champion has not fought since.

This means that when Abner Mares steps into the ring on December 10 to challenge WBA “regular” featherweight champion and fearsome puncher Jesus Cuellar of Argentina, he will be battling both ring rust and the reality that his last significant win came against Daniel Ponce De Leon in May of 2013.

The fear for Mares backers is that their man has entered the phase that so many elite champions inevitably regress to: elite opponent — the type of fighter who can still compete at the highest level but will always come out second best.

Mares, though, is exuding a confidence built on his partnership with renowned trainer Robert Garcia.

“This is going to be a smarter Abner Mares,” Mares said at a recent press conference to promote the fight. “I’ve been learning a lot with Robert Garcia. They gave us a year to train and learn together. He’s a knowledgeable coach. He’s not just a guy who works mitts. This is the real deal. He gets you better and I’m really happy with him.”

Mares is now 30, and one wonders whether Garcia can (or should) drastically alter anything in his approach, or whether the benefits of their partnership will simply be found in Garcia’s ability to make in-fight tactical adjustments and motivate his charge. After all, there is something to be said for having a new “voice” in veteran fighter’s corner.

Against Santa Cruz, in a fight where Mares genuinely proved he’s still an elite contender, a hyper, almost reckless, pressure was what yielded such promising early success. Mares, however, was hittable and naturally unable to sustain the torrid pace he set in the early rounds, and one must also acknowledge that Santa Cruz doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs). In a sense, Mares’ punch resistance is still a variable.

Clearly, Abner Mares is preparing for everything, and he’ll need to be at his versatile best to pull off an upset.

“If I have to make it into a brawl, I will do that,” Mares said. “I have the boxing abilities to be the smarter fighter and win by out boxing him. I learn from all of my fights, especially the losses. From the Santa Cruz fight I learned that I really need to listen to my corner. I let the crowd get to me and fought the wrong fight. I’m going to be ready for everything.”

Whether Mares can out-box Cuellar remains to be seen, and whether he’s disciplined and strong enough to survive spells of brawling is also an unknown. Since moving up to featherweight, Mares has had mixed results, whereas Cuellar is a natural 126-pounder who is riding an 11-0 unbeaten streak. Santa Cruz, like Mares, had steadily moved up in weight; on the other hand, Cuellar, who is a robust featherweight, will be supremely difficult to bully.

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Regardless of the actual fight’s outcome, Abner Mares has consistently opted to fight the best, which leaves him as an outlier given boxing’s frustrating norms. Mares made a name for himself in Showtime’s compelling bantamweight tournament, and he prioritizes entertaining his fans. And even though he’s firmly focused on the task of upending Cuellar’s reign, Mares, in characteristic fashion, is dreaming big.

“I want the winner of the Frampton vs. Santa Cruz rematch,” Mares said. “I want to continue to fight the best. I want to be known as a guy who fights the best.”

Whether Abner Mares will get to that point is unclear, but his gumption ought to be admired. And if this proves to be his last stand, expect fireworks worthy of his impressive career.