by Keith Idec
ISAAC CRUZ stays assured that public demand for his second battle in opposition to Gervonta Davis will finally develop into extra essential than his shut loss to Jose Valenzuela in Cruz’s most up-to-date motion.
That course of will start for Cruz on February 1, when the ferocious fighter nicknamed “Pitbull” will meet countryman Angel Fierro in a Mexican showdown on the David Benavidez-David Morrell Jr. undercard at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas. Cruz and his supervisor, Sean Gibbons, are satisfied a formidable efficiency from Cruz will put him again on monitor to safe a coveted rematch versus Davis.
“Finally, with time, the battle will come,” Cruz instructed Boxing Information earlier than a press convention Tuesday in Mexico Metropolis to advertise his battle with Fierro. “Proper now, I’m gonna be centered on Fierro.”
Mexico Metropolis’s Cruz is usually thought-about the hardest opponent of Davis’ profession.
Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) misplaced a unanimous choice to Davis, however the relentlessly aggressive challenger examined the highly effective southpaw and ended his 16-fight knockout streak in December 2021 at Staples Middle in Los Angeles. Davis defeated Cruz on the playing cards of judges Zachary Younger (116-112), Carla Caiz (115-113) and Max De Luca (115-113).
Nearly three years to the day later, Davis additionally participated in a press convention Tuesday at Barclays Middle in Brooklyn to formally announce his upcoming bout with Lamont Roach. Baltimore’s Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBA light-weight title in opposition to Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) in the primary occasion of a PBC Pay-Per-View present March 1 at Barclays Middle.
“ in boxing one sensational win places you again from being within the outhouse to the penthouse,” Gibbons stated. “So, a sensational win in opposition to Fierro opens up all of the doorways once more [for a Davis rematch], for certain.”
Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs), a Mexican-born southpaw who resides in Renton, Washington, largely employed a protected technique on his strategy to conquering Cruz by break up choice of their 12-round battle for Cruz’s WBA tremendous light-weight title August 3 on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov undercard at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Judges Rudy Barragan (116-112) and Pat Russell (116-112) scored eight rounds apiece for Valenzuela, who misplaced seven rounds based on choose Edward Hernandez Sr. (115-113).
In his prior look, Cruz stopped Rolando “Rolly” Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) within the eighth spherical to win the WBA 140-pound championship from Romero final March 30 at T-Cellular Enviornment. Davis beforehand knocked out Romero within the sixth spherical of their grudge match, which came about in Could 2022 at Barclays Middle.
Cruz doesn’t sense Roach is able to upsetting Davis, who opened as a 16-1 favourite over Tijuana’s Fierro (22-2-2, 17 KOs). If Cruz and Davis win their fights, that are scheduled to happen 4 weeks aside, Gibbons expects to re-establish loads of momentum for his or her rematch.
“The general public solely asks for Gervonta,” Gibbons stated. “Regardless of the place we’re at, regardless of the place Isaac is, he runs into all types of black individuals they usually’re like, ‘Hey, when will you battle Gervonta?’ He’s strolling down the road and the FedEx man hollers out the window, ‘When will you battle Tank?’ I’ve seen it. There’s such a requirement for that battle. Gervonta is aware of that was the hardest battle of his life. That’s why he don’t need none of that smoke.”
