Former WBA super lightweight champion Isaac Cruz was looking to bounce back since his loss to Jose Valenzuela last year. He successfully did that tonight in his skirmish against Angel Fierro on the undercard of David Benavidez vs. David Morrell. However, his celebrations were promptly interrupted by Ryan Garcia on social media.
You see, just last month, reports emerged that Garcia’s corner had approached Cruz for a fight in May even though Cruz was slated to face Fierro. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Cruz revealed, “Well, they were pressuring us to sign the fight as quickly as possible.” He claimed that though they are interested in the bout, it will have to wait until after the Fierro fight.
Fast forward to today, Cruz was on the offensive from the first bell as if a knockout win was his only goal. Regardless, the fight went the distance, and ‘Pitbull’ Cruz secured a comfortable unanimous decision win in the end. The judges scored the fight: Eric Cheeks (98-92), Don Trella (97-93) and Steve Weisfeld (96-94) scored eight, seven, and six rounds respectively for Cruz.
Cruz is target practice
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) February 2, 2025
However, Garcia wasn’t impressed by Cruz’s return performance, as he took to X to share his thoughts on the matter. “Cruz is target practice ,” Garcia wrote, taking a dig at Cruz. Despite, Garcia’s insult, Cruz seems proud of his performance.
Leaving Ryan Garcia behind, Isaac Cruz reflects on the win
Cruz and Fierro embraced each other following the fight, having honored the memory of the late Mexican legend Israel Vasquez. The WBC even made an honorary belt awarded to Cruz for his win. Having overcome Fierro’s granite chin and late-round resilience, Cruz could not hold back his sentiments during the post-fight interview.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 28: Isaac Cruz and poses on the scale during the weigh-in for his fight against Giovanni Cabrera at T-Mobile Arena on July 28, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cruz and Cabrera will fight in a lightweight title eliminator at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 29. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
“I’m so happy that I gave the fans a great fight with a lot of pressure like I always do,” Cruz said. “And I’m proud to do it with my family here watching… Fierro deserves all the respect in the world, and I take my hat off to him. Thank you to all the fans who came to support me, because that’s who I fight for.”
That said, even though Ryan Garcia might not think much of Isaac Cruz’s comeback fight after suffering an upset loss last year, Cruz is clearly proud of himself as he delivered what he had promised his fans. What did you think of Cruz’s performance?
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