Cleverly to face Hawk on Mares-Moreno card

Light heavyweight Nathan Cleverly, of Wales, will defend his WBO belt against Shawn Hawk, of Atlantic City, on Saturday night's Showtime-televised undercard of a main event between rising WBA bantamweight titleholder Anselmo Moreno and unbeaten WBC junior featherweight beltholder Abner Mares at Staples Center in Los Angeles, according to Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez.

Cleverly (24-0, 11 knockouts), who is 25, will be in his second-ever appearance on American soil, with the first having been an eight-round unanimous decision over Antonio Baker at The Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas in April of 2008.

Hawk (23-2-1, 17 KOs), who is 28, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Eleider Alvarez in June that ended a five-bout winning streak.

Mares (24-0-1, 13 KOs) will try to end a 27-fight winning streak that includes 10 knockouts by the southpaw Moreno (33-1, 12 KOs).

Mares-Moreno will also mark the return to the ring of Mexican junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo (20-2, 17 KOs), currently residing in Coachella, Calif., against Raul Casarez (19-2, 9 KOs), of Edinburg, Texas.

In addition, IBF bantamweight titleholder Leo Santa Cruz (21-0-1, 11 KOs), of Lincoln Heights, Calif., will be challenged by Mexico's Victor Zaleta (20-2-1, 10 KOs).

In other bouts, junior welterweight Antonio Orozco (15-0, 11 KOs), of San Diego, will face Danny Escobar (8-1, 5 KOs), of Riverside, Calif., potentially opening the Showtime Extreme portion of the card.

The card may also include a televised clash featuring Chris Pearson (5-0, 4 KOs), of Trotwood, Ohio, who has fought both as a junior middleweight and middleweight, against an opponent to be determined.

Photo: www.frankwarren.tv

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