On the night of March 31, a great evening of professional boxing took place in Las Vegas (USA). The tournament’s co-main event featured a WBA junior welterweight world title fight between belt holder Rolando Romero and challenger Isaac Cruz.
Tournament highlights:
Tim Tszyu – Sebastian Fundora: surprise of the year! Kostya’s son sensationally lost in a bloody battle
Isaac Cruz is a promising Mexican boxer. Cruz, 26, has competed professionally since 2015 and is known among boxing fans for his flamboyant and aggressive style. Perhaps Cruz gained the greatest popularity for his fight with Gervonta Davis: in December 2021, Isaac lost by unanimous decision, but was remembered by the public. After that, Cruz had three more fights, won them all, decided to move up in weight and immediately received a title fight. At the time of the fight with Romero, Pitbull had 25 victories in his career, of which 17 were by knockout.
The American Rolando Romero entered professional boxing a year after Cruz, but, unlike the Mexican, he remained undefeated for a long time, becoming interim lightweight champion. And Romero received the first and only loss of his career in a fight from Gervonta Davis himself, losing to Tank by knockout. After that, Rolando had a one-year break and returned to the ring as a junior welterweight. And, like Cruz, he immediately received a title shot. Romero defeated Ismael Barroso and became the new WBA champion.
Rolando Romero
Photo: Steve Marcus/Getty Images
It is true that Romero could not defend his belt. Despite holding the title, the champion approached the fight as an underdog. Many believed that Rolando could not stand up to Cruz’s aggressive style and, in fact, they were right. From the first seconds of the fight, Isaac applied maximum pressure, acted aggressively and forced the champion to retire. Side kicks flew near Romero’s head again and again, but at the end of the round, Cruz still caught his opponent. Rolando staggered, but managed to hold on until the gong, although it was extremely difficult for him.
The second round is perhaps the only bright spot of this fight for Romero, in which the champion tried to back away less and respond to Cruz with his attacks. But Isaac’s pace and pressure again did his job, and Rolando began to retreat again from the third segment.
And in the main event of the tournament, the Tim Tszyu drama unfolded:
Drama in Las Vegas! Kostya Tszyu’s son sensationally lost to a lanky stranger
Surprisingly, even Cruz’s corner asked his boxer to slow down a bit, apparently fearing for the functional component, but Isaac demonstrated excellent boxing. He constantly pressed, hit and hit a lot. At times, Romero was simply forced to turn his bike and openly flee from the challenger. Rolando also came up with the idea of the clinch as a defense against Isaac’s constant attacks. The champion makes a lot of insurance, tying his opponent’s hands, preventing him from developing close-range attacks. The referee, by the way, even deducted a point from Romero for this, but the champion still, no, no, was saved in the clinch.
The outcome came in the second half of the game. In the seventh round, Romero failed a lot, powerful combinations in the form of a left side and a straight right reached the goal again and again, but the champion’s resistance must be highlighted: despite the colossal damage, Rolando remained standing. at his feet. True, all this did not please the doctor, who carefully studied Romero’s condition, but he still released him for the eighth round, which turned out to be the last.
isaac cruz
Photo: Steve Marcus/Getty Images
Cruz went on the attack again, literally began to destroy the champion with side kicks and the referee was forced to intervene in the fight. Curiously, the knockdown was never recorded, but Romero was practically in a standing knockout, barely able to stand.
Isaac Cruz won a surprising victory and deservedly became the new junior welterweight champion. This is the first full world title in the 26-year-old Mexican’s career.
