Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares are on a long journey to a rematch

Oscar De La Hoya stirred a lively boxing debate this week by emphasizing that fighters are best served when represented by a promoter.

Part of De La Hoya’s presentation was to point at Saturday night’s StubHub Center card that includes separate fights involving Southland-based featherweight world champions Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares, and label the show “a waste of talent.”

After World Boxing Assn. champions Santa Cruz (33-1-1, 18 knockouts) and Mares (30-2-1, 15 KOs) staged a compelling 2015 bout at Staples Center that Santa Cruz won by majority decision, Mares thought it best to wait for the rematch, which appeared in the cards for 2017 after both won fights near the start of the year.

Powerful manager Al Haymon, as part of an early 2015 split with De La Hoya, represents both Santa Cruz and Mares without the influence of a fulltime promotion company. The decision to pit them against lesser opponents Saturday instead of each other, De La Hoya says, reflects a lack of proper promoting.

“There’s been no momentum,” De La Hoya said, alluding to several Haymon fighters. “A fighter needs a promoter who knows how to guide his career, who’s thinking about the next step. These fighters fight, and then they disappear.”

De La Hoya pointed to former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs’ recent defection from Haymon to English promoter Eddie Hearn as evidence of the discontent.

Haymon doesn’t speak to the media, but Richard Schaefer, the promoter of Saturday’s fight, disputed the notion that Golden Boy’s promotion could’ve benefited the fighters.

Schaefer said that while De La Hoya may have a star in Canelo Alvarez, “Tell me one other Golden Boy fighter who is known walking down the street. There’s not one. Abner Mares and Santa Cruz are better known than any other fighter than Golden Boy has.

“The activity level of fighters can be a reflection of the television landscape, with less dates available. These guys might fight less, but they make more money and that likely prolongs their career.”

Santa Cruz considered a rematch with Mares for the fall, but his father-trainer, Jose, thought his son should have an easier bout after back-to-back 12-rounders with Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton.

Mares, who had trusted Santa Cruz to keep the date, felt betrayed following a spike of career momentum that came by out-boxing slugger Jesus Cuellar in December to win the secondary WBA belt.

So on Saturday it’s Santa Cruz against Lancaster’s Chris Avalos, who has lost three of his past five bouts, and Mares against his anonymous Mexican countryman Andres Gutierrez.

“I don’t want to point fingers, but it’s the whole group’s fault, including myself and the manager, because we concentrated so much on [Santa Cruz], we ended up waiting and lost the momentum … we got strung along,” Mares said.

Mares left De La Hoya after becoming the promoter’s first homegrown world champion. He’s repeatedly said Haymon, thanks to his contacts and estimated $500 million in investment-fund backing, has allowed him to make more money than De La Hoya ever did.

Even for this card, Mares is earning $700,000, while Santa Cruz is being paid $750,000.

“You fight once a year, but you make what you would’ve made in three fights with Golden Boy [while] hurting your body, taking on this damage; fighting’s hard on you,” Mares said.

So would he rather have the cash or the better-planned career trek that would result in perhaps a richer legacy?

“At this stage in my career, money, because I’ve done a lot for boxing already that wasn’t all that mentioned by my past promoter,” including winning four division belts, Mares said. “As sad as it is, people remember you by your last fight, not by your career.”

Santa Cruz promised at Thursday’s news conference that he’ll fight Mares in March should both win Saturday.

BOXING

Main event: Leo Santa Cruz (33-1-1, 18 KOs) vs. Chris Avalos (27-5, 20 KOs) for Santa Cruz’s World Boxing Assn. primary featherweight belt

When: Saturday, doors open at 12:30 p.m., television card begins at 4:30.

Where: StubHub Center

Television: Fox

Tickets: $30-$150 at StubHub Center and axs.com

Undercard: Abner Mares (30-2-1, 15 KOs) vs. Andres Gutierrez (35-1-1, 25 KOs) for Mares’ WBA secondary featherweight belt; Antonio DeMarco (32-6-1, 23 KOs) vs. Eddie Ramirez, (17-0, 11 KOs), junior-welterweights

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire