Isaac Cruz: How ‘Pitbull’ Emerged As One Of The Most Exciting Fighters In Boxing

Isaac Cruz will make the first defense of his WBA super-lightweight world title against Jose Valenzuela on the stacked Riyadh Season card in Los Angeles on August 3.
As part of an event headlined by pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford and featuring the likes of lightweight star-in-the-making Andy Cruz, former unified heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz Jr, fast-rising heavyweight contender Jared Anderson, and light-heavyweight title-chasing David Morrell, ‘Pitbull’ has the potential to steal the show.
Cruz (26-2-1 18 KO) has fast become one of the most popular fighters in the game thanks to his fan-friendly, aggressive style and willingness to fight anyone. In Valenzuela, he will face at the BMO Stadium an opponent who will also come forward in search of the knockout, meaning their bout should be the most explosive and entertaining of the night.
If the fight goes as expected, the Mexican will undoubtedly add many more supporters to his ever-growing fanbase. That the fight is in L.A. and expected to attract a large Hispanic audience will only help in his ambitions of becoming a pay-per-view star.
As Cruz finalizes preparations for his first world title defense in just over two weeks’ time, it’s worth looking at his career so far to learn how ‘Pitbull’ became one of the most exciting and popular boxers of the current generation.
Boxing Career Of Cruz
A fighter with boxing in his DNA – “my grandfather was a fighter and my father was a fighter” – Cruz started training at the age of seven, and was soon showcasing his skills in the Mexican amateur scene.
According to his biography on the PBC website, Cruz amassed an amateur record of 73 wins from 85 bouts including 50 knockouts. He was the Mexico City champion from 2010 to 2014 – meaning he won his first title at 12 or 13 years old – and was regional champion between 2011 and 2014. Cruz also participated in three Olympic trials.
A 16-year-old Cruz made his professional debut in March 2015 in Naucalpan, Mexico and stopped opponent Luis Yan Revilla in the first round. He suffered an early defeat in his sixth pro fight, dropping a decision to Luis Montano Alvarez, but immediately bounced back to put together a long unbeaten run.
He won 17 of his next 18 bouts, with only a draw in a six-round bout against Jose Calyecac Capilla disrupting his win streak. He made his American debut in Brooklyn in December 2019 – taking a points win over Miguel Angel Perez Aispuro in an eight-round bout – and has fought Stateside ever since.
Five straight wins in the United States saw ‘Pitbull’ climb the lightweight ranks and he got his first world title shot in unexpected circumstances. Just two weeks before WBA world champion Gervonta Davis was due to face Rolando Romero in December 2021, Romero dropped out of the fight after sexual harassment allegations were made against him.
Cruz stepped in at late notice and gave ‘Tank’ the toughest fight of his career, losing by only two rounds with two of the judges and an unfair four rounds by the third judge. It was one of those occasions in boxing when the loser gained almost as much in defeat as he would’ve done in victory; Cruz won over the crowd at the Staples Center for his aggressive, no-surrender style and he saw his popularity surge.
Against Davis he also showed that he could mix it with the very best, and Cruz used that performance to push for titles. He won his first belt in his subsequent fight, claiming the vacant WBO intercontinental lightweight title with a fifth-round destruction of popular veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa in April 2022.
Five months later, Cruz won the WBC silver lightweight title by knocking out Eduardo Ramirez in the second round and added the WBO Latino lightweight belt to his collection in July 2023 with a split-decision win over Giovanni Cabrera.
Then came the crowning moment of his career so far. Competing at super-lightweight for the first time, Cruz made the step up to challenge WBA world champion Romero at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in March and duly dominated the American on his way to an eighth-round stoppage.
Cruz’s upcoming bout against Valenzuela will represent his first defense.
Cruz’s Fighting Style
There is perhaps no boxing nickname more appropriate than Cruz’s ‘Pitbull’. Like a savage and untrained Pitbull, Cruz is all about aggression; he gets on the front foot and stalks his prey, and once he has him in his clutches, he refuses to let go until his opponent is knocked down or out.
At 5ft 4in, Cruz is short and stocky with large shoulders and a wide neck. No surprise, then, that he is often referred to as the ‘Mexican Mike Tyson’. Like Iron Mike, Cruz is frighteningly powerful on the inside and is a ferocious counter-puncher. He possesses concussive power in both hands, and his left hook is among the most dangerous in boxing.
Given his eye-catching style, it was only inevitable that fans would be drawn to the Mexican, and promoter Eddie Hearn, who doesn’t even represent Cruz, believes he has all the makings of a superstar.
“Isaac Cruz is becoming one of the biggest stars in American boxing. Again, it’s going to be huge support for him in Los Angeles, and this fight is a tough one,” Hearn said to the Matchroon Boxing YouTube channel.
“Valenzuela is a crafty, clever fighter that can fight in spaces as well. He can fight on the inside and fight on the outside,” Hearn added. “But Pitbull Cruz is strong and exciting. He’s a real pound-for-pound potential fighter but a PPV potential fighter as well.”
What Does The Future Hold For Cruz?
First and foremost is the title defense against Valenzuela on August 3, and if Cruz lives up to expectations and claims a knockout victory, he will be a significant step closer to becoming a box office star.
Cruz has already outlined his plans to fight his fellow super-lightweight champions, with WBO title holder Teofimo Lopez among his top targets. There is also IBF champion Liam Paro, while the WBC title is currently available following Devin Haney’s decision to vacate.
Then there is his hope of gaining revenge on Davis, and Cruz is convinced that with a full training camp, he can be the first fighter to beat the Baltimore star.
“I don’t know if [Davis is] afraid or not to face me in a rematch, but what I do know, with the right training camp and right preparation, if I face Gervonta again, I can give him a big surprise,” said Cruz.
Whether it ever happens will remain to be seen, but either way, Mexico has a new star to get behind.