The world is buzzing as Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts his undefeated record on the line against Robert Guerrero on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
But Mayweather vs. Guerrero is not the only fight you need to see. The undercard features such showcases as Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares and J'Leon Love vs. Gabriel Rosado. Love, as well as Leo Santa Cruz (who faces veteran Alexander Munoz), are two young fighters creating plenty of buzz throughout the boxing world.
Here's a look at the undercard bouts you must see on Saturday in Las Vegas, complete with broadcasting information.
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
When: Saturday, May 4 at 9 p.m. ET
Watch: Showtime
Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares
This is the most anticipated undercard bout of the night. Daniel Ponce de Leon (44-4, 35 KO) will be defending his WBC featherweight title, while Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO) vacated his junior featherweight title to face Ponce de Leon.
Ponce de Leon has won his last three fights, including a technical decision over Jhonny Gonzalez in September in which he gashed the Mexican's right eye. The 32-year-old has improved his game throughout the years—adding a jab that tends to confuse opponents—and he's a heavy-handed, determined fighter.
On the other hand, Mares is the more talented fighter.
Despite Ponce de Leon's sterling record, he's fallen when faced with his most challenging opposition, including Juan Manuel Lopez, Celestino Caballero, Adrien Broner and Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Mares is a versatile fighter whose power stands out. He possesses the scrappy disposition to withstand what figures to be a spirited effort from Ponce de Leon. He's also a busy fighter, throwing 850 punches in his victory via unanimous decision against Anselmo Moreno in November.
J'Leon Love vs. Gabriel Rosado
J'Leon Love, at 25 years old, resembles a potential star in the making in the middleweight division.
Love (15-0, 8 KO) handled veteran Derrick Findley in impressive fashion in February, winning via unanimous decision. The Detroit native threw more punches and landed them at a greater percentage than Findley, connecting on 148 of 443 punches (33 percent), via BoxRec.com. More importantly, he connected on 40 percent of his power punches (100 of 247).
Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13 KO) is no slouch. After resurrecting his career in 2012, the 27-year-old put in a spirited effort against Gennady Golovkin in a WBA middleweight world championship bout in January, eventually being stopped by cuts in the seventh round. He was outclassed by Golovkin in the bout, but it exemplified his passion and determination.
His back-to-back KO victories over Jesus Soto Karass and Sechew Powell are reason enough for Love to be wary stepping into the ring.
Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz
As far as competitiveness, Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz will likely be outshined by the other two bouts on the undercard, but it provides a glimpse of a rising star in Santa Cruz.
The 24-year-old Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KO) figures to put on a show in Las Vegas. He was an honorable mention for fighter of the year in 2012 after going 5-0 and defending his IBF bantamweight world title four times. That included an unanimous decision over Alberto Guevara in December in which he threw nearly 1,000 punches and connected on 210 of his 560 power punches (38 percent).
In that case, it was no wonder why Santa Cruz vacated his bantamweight title in February in search of bigger fights in the junior featherweight division. The Mayweather-Guerrero undercard bout presents an opportunity for the youngster from Mexico to show the world what he's made of.
As for Munoz, the 34-year-old nicknamed "El Explosivo" has the punching power to shock Santa Cruz. The Venezuelan (36-4, 28 KO) has posted 19 knockouts in three rounds or fewer throughout his career. He's also won eight of his last 10 matches, but he lost against his biggest opponents—world champions Cristian Mijares and Koki Kameda.
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