Santa Cruz faces Zaleta on Mares-Moreno card

IBF bantamweight titleholder Leo Santa Cruz, of Lincoln Heights, Calif., will make the second defense of his belt  on Nov. 10 against Mexico's Victor Zaleta, ownner of a four-bout unbeaten streak.

Santa Cruz, whose clash was earlier confirmed by RingTV.com, will face Zaleta on the Showtime-televised undercard of a main event featuring WBC junior featherweight beltholder Abner Mares and rising WBA bantamweight titleholder Anselmo Moreno.

Promoted by Golden Boy, Santa Cruz-Zaleta will be part of a show that will be televised from The Staples Center in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ET/PT, being delayed on the West Coast.

"This fight is the perfect addition to this already stellar card," said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions.

"Leo Santa Cruz is going to do whatever he can to keep his title and remain undefeated, but I know Zaleta is coming to fight.  This is going to be a toe-to-toe battle that fans are not going to want to miss."

In his last bout, the 24-year-old Santa Cruz (21-0-1, 11 KOs) scored a sixth-round TKO over Eric Morel, stopping the now-retired veteran for the first time in his career on Sept. 15.

"I am so happy to be defending my title in front of a hometown crowd at Staples Center," said Santa Cruz.  "I feel like I can really conquer anyone after my fight in September against Eric Morel, so Zaleta had better come prepared."

Zaleta is 20-2-1 with 10 knockouts, and is 3-0-1 with one stoppage in his past four fights, last suffering defeat by unanimous decision in February of last year to WBO junior bantamweight titleholder Omar Narvraez.

"This fight is something I have waited for since I started fighting," said Zaleta. "I am going to take advantage of this opportunity, become a world champion and make my name known."

Also scheduled to be a part of the event is a bout between Mexican junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo, currently of Coachella, Calif., and twice-beaten Raul Casarez, of Edinburg, Texas.

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com