It will be three years ago in December when Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz stepped in with little more than a month’s notice to accept the biggest fight of his life against now-three-division-champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis, and then took him the distance in a Rocky-esque storyline.
Should the new World Boxing Association junior welterweight titleholder (26-2-1, 18 KOs) defeat his challenger Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs) on Saturday night at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, the stars may be aligning for a December anniversary rematch with the WBA lightweight belt holder Davis.
Earlier this month, Baltimore’s Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) learned negotiations with his fellow three-division champion, the IBF lightweight titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko, had come to little, with Lomachenko saying he needed the rest of the year off to return to his native, war-torn Ukraine with his family.
On Tuesday, the co-manager for the three-division and WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson told BoxingScene that Davis’ representatives have not been responsive to negotiating a deal for a unification bout; Stevenson has verbally agreed to pursue a fight against consensus No. 1 lightweight contender William Zepeda, of Mexico.
“Pitbull’s open for December,” Cruz’s advisor, Sean Gibbons, said at the fighter’s grand arrival on the Santa Monica Pier. “So why not do it again?
“He’s up for it any day of the year. Are you up for it, Gervonta? We have no problem here.”
Cruz’s popularity has surged since the first fight, which Davis won by scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112 after entering the bout on the heels of knockout victories over Cuba’s Yuriorkis Gamboa, four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz and reigning WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios.
Since then, Cruz has recorded three stoppages in his past four fights – including his rousing finish in March of then-140-pound titleholder Rolly Romero in Las Vegas.
Cruz earned the loudest ovation of the night in the co-main event, which supported the junior middleweight title fight between the newly unified champion Sebastian Fundora and Australia’s Tim Tszyu.
A similar greeting is expected Saturday night against Mexican countryman Valenzuela in the co-main under the 154-pound title fight between titleholder Israil Madrimov and three-division champion Terence Crawford.
Cruz’s popularity was obvious at the grand arrivals, as he remained among the crowd following interviews with reporters and signed autographs and mingled with his supporters.
Having a full camp to prepare for Davis for what would certainly be an all-action bout is appetizing to consider, but Cruz said he’s locked in on the task ahead of him.
“I’m focused on the fight now; I have a lot of respect for [Valenzuela],” Cruz told BoxingScene.
He had such great success by delivering an onslaught of punches on Romero. Will he repeat that strategy against Valenzuela?
“I’m looking to give the people a great performance. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about,” Cruz said.
As for his thoughts on Stevenson moving toward Zepeda and Davis needing an opponent, Cruz said, “I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m just focused on ‘Rayo’ and being excited about Saturday. I had a great camp. I’m ready for any kind of fight.”
And should he win it, the opportunity to run it back against Davis is rich.
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