Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz 26-2-1 (18) claimed the WBA junior welterweight title with an eighth-round knockout against Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero 15-2 (13) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
Boxing in the main support bout to the WBO and WBC junior middleweight title fight between Tim Tszyu 24-1 (17) and Sebastian Fundora 21-1-1 (13), the 25-year-old Mexican proved he can bang with the best of them at 140 pounds after moving up from lightweight.
Cruz put it on Romero from the outset, wobbling him in the opening round and never letting up on his relentless assault.
For much of the fight it seemed like every time Romero got his legs back and started to settle into a rhythm, Cruz would hurt him again.
The 28-year-old Las Vegas native simply didn’t have the tool to keep Cruz off him.
The end looked near as early as the fourth round when Cruz unloaded on Romero at the bell and in the fifth the reigning champion did everything he could to avoid exchanging with the energetic challenger. Things were going so bad for Romero that he was docked a point for excessive holding in the fifth.
Cruz was emboldened by his success and continued to stalk the retreating Romero for the next three rounds, beating him up while looking for the fight ending shot.
It didn’t come with one blow, but when Cruz trapped Romero on the ropes early in the eighth and starting dropping bombs with each hand, referee Thomas Taylor had little choice to wave off the one-sided contest at the 0:56 mark.
Judges Max Deluca and Patricia Morse Jarman both had Cruz up by scores of 69-63 and 68-64 respectively at the time of the stoppage. Somehow judge Chris Flores managed to see the fight for Romero with a card of 66-65 for the ex-champion.
“I’m very happy and humbled to win this title for my family and for Mexico. I was prepared for this,” Cruz said.
“I wasn’t here to just fight. I was here to terminate him… I did my talking right here in the ring. And I did this not just for me but for everybody that is here at T-Mobile Arena. There’s going to be a Mexican champ at 140 pounds for a long time.
“I feel great. Here were the fruits of four months of hard work reaping their rewards. This is priceless. It was just a matter of time, but damn if it doesn’t feel good to be a world champion.
“I fought with the intention to leave the decision out of the judges’ hands. Mission accomplished.”
Cruz had some choice words for boxers in and around his weight class.
“I don’t have anything to say to Gervonta (Davis), really,” Cruz said. “He can whatever he wants, but we silenced the doubters tonight. If he isn’t scared, let’s go for the rematch.
“Ryan Garcia can say whatever he wants. I’ll make him eat all the trash he talks, just like I did with Rolly.
“This wasn’t just me. It was something I accomplished thanks to the support of my family.”
