The last time Isaac Cruz fought in Los Angeles, it was in a main event against Gervonta Davis. The fight closed the curtains on the arena formerly known as Staples Center, now billed as Crypto.com Arena.
The hard-hitting Cruz will return to where he enjoyed a strong performance, albeit in a losing effort against Davis, when he takes on fellow Mexican veteran Eduardo Ramirez (27-2-3, 12 KOs).
The 12-round WBC lightweight title eliminator will serve as the co-main event for the FOX pay-per-view headlined by Andy Ruiz Jr. and Luis Ortiz.
Cruz (23-2-1, 16 KOs) has continued to climb the ladder since making his United States debut less than three years ago. The 5-foot-4 fighter nicknamed “Pitbull” stringed together five wins in the United States to prepare for a fight with Davis.
Cruz’s rise can be attributed in part to his pairing with boxing great Sean Gibbons.
When Manny Pacquiao’s former manager and current head of MP Promotions was asked about Cruz’s promise and potential, he gave glowing reviews of his protégé.
“Isaac Cruz is the next face of Mexican boxing, after Canelo Alvarez,” Gibbons told BoxingScene.com in an interview. “Isaac Cruz is so hot right now, if he does what he’s supposed to do with Ramirez, his ‘factor’ will go up. He is a fighter that people are taking notice of. This is how PBC and Al Haymon build stars. They give fighters like Cruz the biggest and best platforms to fight on.
“He had his coming out party against Tank. I saw about 15 NBA Hall of Famers go ‘Oh shit!’ after the first round. Who is this guy pulling Gervonta out of the ring? This fight against Ramirez will take him to the next level where he himself will headline a card afterward.”
Cruz, 24, capitalized on another co-feature opportunity in his last fight in April, dropping Yuriorkis Gamboa four times and stopping the former world champion in five rounds during the Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas pay-per-view.
Before that, Cruz pushed Tank to the limit and looked remarkable even though he lost a unanimous decision by scores of 113-115 twice and 112-116. Davis narrowly outscored Cruz 133-121, and the tough fighter became the second opponent Davis failed to knock out.
Cruz’s only other loss throughout his seven-year career came during his sixth fight in Mexico by unanimous decision against an unannounced official.
Gibbons wants to use the recent momentum to give Cruz the right fights.
“We’re ready to match Cruz against Ryan Garcia,” Gibbons said. “Isaac is not afraid of any fighter. I don’t want to disappoint the fans, but this is not fantasy boxing putting A against B against C against D. There are certain things that need to happen, like the platforms that guys fight on. We will fight anyone when the circumstances are right.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and television reporter. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, by email at manouk[dot]collect[at]gmail.com or at www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
