Isaac Cruz made another strong statement.
The Mexican slugger knocked out countryman Eduardo Ramirez at 2:27 of the second round of a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout on the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Luis Ortiz undercard Sunday in Los Angeles.
Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) had some trouble cornering an elusive Ramirez (27-3-3, 12 KOs) in a relatively quiet first round.
However, that changed in an instant midway through Round 2, when Cruz dropped his compatriot and hurt him badly with a perfect left hook to the chin.
The worst was yet to come for Ramirez, as Cruz viciously attacked his injured prey until a three-punch combination put him back in his pants.
That was enough for referee Jack Reiss, who did not hesitate to stop the fight to save Ramírez from further punishment.
Then Cruz, a top contender, called out Gervonta Davis, who narrowly outpointed him last December. That fight is not likely to happen. However, performances like Cruz’s on Sunday keep him in the hunt for the championship.
