by Keith Idec
ISAAC CRUZ remains confident that public demand for his second fight against Gervonta Davis will eventually become more important than his close loss to Jose Valenzuela in Cruz’s most recent action.
That process will begin 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-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Cruz and his manager, Sean Gibbons, are convinced an impressive performance from Cruz will put him back on track to secure a coveted rematch versus Davis.
“Eventually, with time, the fight will come,” Cruz told Boxing News before a press conference Tuesday in Mexico City to promote his fight with Fierro. “Right now, I’m gonna be focused on Fierro.”
Mexico City’s Cruz is commonly considered the toughest opponent of Davis’ career.
Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) lost a unanimous decision to Davis, but the relentlessly aggressive challenger tested the powerful southpaw and ended his 16-fight knockout streak in December 2021 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Davis defeated Cruz on the cards of judges Zachary Young (116-112), Carla Caiz (115-113) and Max De Luca (115-113).
Almost three years to the day later, Davis also participated in a press conference Tuesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to officially announce his upcoming bout with Lamont Roach. Baltimore’s Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBA lightweight title against Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) in the main event of a PBC Pay-Per-View show March 1 at Barclays Center.
“You know in boxing one sensational win puts you back from being in the outhouse to the penthouse,” Gibbons said. “So, a sensational win against Fierro opens up all the doors again [for a Davis rematch], for sure.”
Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs), a Mexican-born southpaw who resides in Renton, Washington, mostly employed a safe strategy on his way to conquering Cruz by split decision in their 12-round fight for Cruz’s WBA super lightweight 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 lost seven rounds according to judge Edward Hernandez Sr. (115-113).
In his prior appearance, Cruz stopped Rolando “Rolly” Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) in the eighth round to win the WBA 140-pound championship from Romero last March 30 at T-Mobile Arena. Davis previously knocked out Romero in the sixth round of their grudge match, which took place in May 2022 at Barclays Center.
Cruz doesn’t sense Roach is capable of upsetting Davis, who opened as a 16-1 favorite over Tijuana’s Fierro (22-2-2, 17 KOs). If Cruz and Davis win their fights, which are scheduled to take place four weeks apart, Gibbons expects to re-establish plenty of momentum for their rematch.
“The public only asks for Gervonta,” Gibbons said. “No matter where we’re at, no matter where Isaac is, he runs into all kinds of black people and they’re like, ‘Hey, when will you fight Gervonta?’ He’s walking down the street and the FedEx guy hollers out the window, ‘When will you fight Tank?’ I’ve seen it. There’s such a demand for that fight. Gervonta knows that was the toughest fight of his life. That’s why he don’t want none of that smoke.”