The Honda Center in Anaheim, California plays host to Showtime Boxing this Saturday, February 27th. The live event features eleven fights in all, with the main fight set to air on Showtime. The main event is at Featherweight and it’ll be contested over 12 rounds as WBA “Super World” Featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz defends his title against the challenge of Spain’s Kiko Martinez. Santa Cruz is a big favorite, paying at -3000, while the comeback on Martinez is at +1500. There is no over/under line for the fight as of yet. Santa Cruz is in a “showcase” type of fight where he is expected to win over an opponent he outclasses. Martinez has lost his last two world title fights, to Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg. With Frampton and Quigg fighting in London on the same day, the winner of that fight could very well be looking at a showdown with Santa Cruz. Martinez is well traveled and experienced, and he is touting a change in trainers as part of the reason he feels “rejuvenated” for this fight. Martinez is giving up considerable height and reach advantages to Santa Cruz, and speed and technique are also on the side of Santa Cruz. The co-feature fight is a re-match as Super Bantamweights Hugo Ruiz and Julio Ceja clash. The first match occuered on the Santa Cruz vs Sbner Mares card at the Staples Center last August, and the back and forth war saw both men dropped to the canvas before Ceja got the win in the fifth round. Ceja is coming is as the favorite at the sport books, paying -215, with the comeback on Ruiz at +170. Heavyweight 10 round action sees undefeated fighters Gerald Washington (16-0-1) and Oscar Rivas (18-0) square off in the match expected to open the Showtime telecast. Right now, Rivas is a -150 favorite over Washington, who is returning at +120. Washington’s draw came in his last outing, when he faced hard hitting Amir Mansour last October. Rivas is a Colombian who has been boxing in Canada, and he enters this fight giving up more than 5 inches in both height and reach. The last line is for the Featherweight 10 round bout between Jonathan Arrellano and Claudio Marrero. Marrero is a massive -3800 favorite, with Arrellano coming back at +1500.
