By Miguel Maravilla
Always exciting three-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) returns this Saturday night as he takes on Miguel “El Michoacano” Flores, (24-2, 12 KOs) for the WBA Super featherweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fightnews.com caught up with Santa Cruz as he wrapped up his preparation and talked about his next fight.
“I’m excited to be back. I know that Miguel Flores is going to bring everything,” Leo Santa Cruz told Fightnews.com®. “I think I have more to lose in this fight. I won’t let him beat me.”
Santa Cruz will square off against Flores in the co-feature to the heavyweight rematch between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Luis “King Kong” Ortiz live on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View.
“It’s a great to be part of this card. I know the Wilder Ortiz fight will be a good one. Either of those guys can knock each other out and so can we,” Santa Cruz on being the co-feature to the Wilder Ortiz Rematch.
The two were originally scheduled to fight earlier this year in January but an injury to Flores forced him out now Santa Cruz will meet him in the ring.
“We were supposed to fight early this year and he got injured but now we will meet,” Santa Cruz said.
Wrapping up another solid camp, Santa Cruz prepared with his brother Antonio and father Don Jose keeping a close eye as he has been limited in his role due to his illness. However the family patriarch still rules the camp with an iron fist in preparation for Flores.
“”I’ve trained really hard and I want that fourth world title. This preparation was great. I’m good with the weight already. I have worked more on power for this camp because I’m moving up in weight for this fight,” Santa Cruz on his preparation. “I’m expecting bigger punches at this weight. I’ve been sparring bigger guys for this fight that are 147 and 150 pounds with all types of styles. Sparring partners that are also similar to Miguel Flores,” Santa Cruz added.
“My son is ready to go. The hardest phase is already passed us. He’s done all the hard work to prepare him for this fight,” Don Jose Santa Cruz told Fightnews.com
His opponent Flores is coming off a TKO over veteran Luis May as he looks to stop Santa Cruz’s quest for a fourth world title.
“Miguel Flores is a tough fighter. I know he will come to fight. He throws a lot of punches and works the body really good. It will be a tough fight,” Santa Cruz said about Flores. “This is his first time fighting for a world title so I know he is coming to this fight really hungry. He has nothing to lose,” Santa Cruz added.
For Santa Cruz, he won a tough hard fought decision over Rafael Rivera in his last fight in defending his featherweight title for a final time. After failing to land a featherweight unification bout against WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. Santa Cruz decided to move up in weight.
Now he will be going for his fourth world title in his fourth weight class.
“I’ll be fighting for my fourth world title in my fourth weight. l have been working really hard to win that fourth world title,” Santa Cruz said. “I want to win another title for my legacy
With a win over Flores, Santa Cruz has expressed interest in taking on former super featherweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis or another possibility would be a fight against Gary Russell Jr.
“Hopefully we win this fight and win the title. Then I can go look for a unification bout against Tank Davis. I think he can go back down in weight. I could even go up to 135 to fight him,” Santa Cruz stated.
Without looking ahead, Santa Cruz still has to get past Flores.
“Let’s hope I win this fight. Then I want the big fights and big names. Tank Davis or Gary Russell Jr.,”
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Cruz is fun to watch, with him moving up in weight he should be an exsplosive fighter.
If a lower weight classes and cherry picking opponents he hasn’t been for a long time…… what make think he will dare o face guys like Berchelt, Russell Jr. and be explosive there?
How did he fail to make a fight with Russel Jr ? Russell Jr even stalked his dad!! He should’ve begged for the fight .. now he’s moving to another weight class? Gtfoh .. I’m a fan, so I’m most annoyed that a guy I feel is a great fighter looks to be ducking another great fighter.. all this moving up and fighting the easiest guy with a belt to beat at the wt class is killing boxing ..
And with so many weight classes it is too easy to do just that. Much better in the days with eight weight classes preventing from moving up a few pounds to avoid serious challenges. Winning belts in multiple classes pretty meaningless also when there is a weight class for every few pounds.