By: Sean Crose
Leo Santa Cruz returns to the ring for the first time since being defeated by Gervonta Davis in striking roll fashion back in the fall of 2021. The famous 37-2-1 four-division Santa Cruz player will face off with 23-2-1 Keenan Carbajal tonight under the main event bodyweight Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios. Santa Cruz-Carbajal will fight in the super fat division, scheduled for 10 innings, and will descend at Vegas’ Michelob Ultra Arena as co-mains of the evening. While 33-year-old Santa Cruz is looking to get back into form, 30-year-old Carbajal is looking to make the most of what are clearly opportunities in his nearly nine-year career. The last match of the Phoenix team was the fourth round match of Josean Figueroa Bonilla in November last year.
Abel Ramos will also appear on the Fox-PBC ppv card on Saturday. The 27-4-2 weight division is about to have a pause victory over Omar Figueroa Jr last May. The 30-year-old Arizonan lost his chance to win the WBA welterweight title when he dropped a split decision (which some say should have been a unified decision) for Yordenis Ugas to return in the fall of 2020. Ramos will face Lucas Santamaria 12-2-1. The 24-year-old Santamaria’s last match was a unanimous decision victory over Devon Alexander in August, lifting the Californian’s record to 12-2-1.
Luis Nery 31-1 will also have a card tonight. The 27-year-old Mexican will face off against Carlos Castro 27-0 in a scheduled 10th round match in the super bantamweight division. Nery’s last game was a direct loss to Brandon Figuerao last May. He will be looking to get back into form on Saturday, but Castro, who is also 27 and fights out of Arizona, has yet to taste defeat. Returning to the ring after his knockout win over Oscar Escandon last August, Castro is aiming to impress once in tonight’s showdown, just as he did against Escandon in his showdown with Pacquiao-Ugas last season. last summer.
The Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios card will air tonight on Fox Sports / Premiere Boxing Champions pay per view starting at 9pm ET.
