A member of the 2004 Mexican Olympic team and already a star in the land of his birth, 18-year-old junior featherweight Abner Mares is now prepared to make his mark in professional boxing, making this an important day for Golden Boy Promotions, which is pleased to announce the signing of Mares to a promotional contract.

“It’s amazing because his story is almost like mine,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya.  “His father was a fighter, and my father was a fighter – just to know that he have similarities, it starts everything off on the right foot.”

Mares is expected to make his professional debut against an opponent to be announced on January 6, 2005.

Like 2000 Olympian Fancisco Bojado, Mares was born in Jalisco, Mexico and he also has worked with trainer Alfonso Marquez.  He began boxing at the age of seven, and soon made his mark on the amateur ranks, where he compiled an amazing record of 112-8 with 84 KOs.  Among his amateur accomplishments were PAL, Silver Gloves, Junior Olympics, Olympic Festival, Central American, European Games and Under-17 World Championship titles.

In the 2004 Athens Games, Mares lost a controversial decision to Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak, a decision that provoked outrage around boxing circles in Mexico.

“I was really disappointed, but in hearing things from Oscar, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Finito Lopez, they were saying that I won the fight,” said Mares, who makes his home in Hawaiian Gardens, California.  “And listening to them and hearing what they had to say about my fight, it comforted me.”

Now Mares, a recent graduate of Artesia High, takes on the professional ranks, and as a powerful puncher who can box or slug equally, this young man’s goals are obvious.

“In the amateurs my goal was just to go to the Olympics, I wasn’t thinking of the medal until I got there,” said Mares.  “But now that I’m going to the pros, I want to go into a world championship fight.”

“I’m really excited to work with Golden Boy Promotions,” said Mares.  “A lot of people have congratulated me and told me that I did the right thing, which I know I did.  I think Oscar’s going to do a lot of things for me.”