Tag Archives: Isaac Cruz

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THREE SENSATIONAL UNDERCARD MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. YORDENIS UGAS SHOWTIME PPV® ON SATURDAY, APRIL 16

March 18, 2022 FNU47 Leave a comment

**Lightweight Contender Isaac Cruz Battles Former World Champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in Premier Boxing Champions Co-Main Event From AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas**

**Rising Unbeaten Jose Valenzuela Takes On Former World Champion Francisco Vargas in Lightweight Duel**

**Unbeaten Cody Crowley Faces Veteran Contender Josesito Lopez**
**in Battle of All-Action Welterweights Kicking Off**
**Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT**

**Tickets On Sale Now!**

**ARLINGTON, T.X. – March 17, 2022 –** Three sensational matchups have been added to the SHOWTIME PPV lineup headlined by WBC and IBF world champion **Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr.** and WBA World Champion **Yordenis Ugas** squaring off in a welterweight title unification clash on Saturday, April 16 live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting lightweight contender **Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz** taking on veteran former world champion **Yuriorkis Gamboa** in the 10-round co-main event.

The lineup also includes unbeaten **Jose Valenzuela** battling former world champion **Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas** in a 10-round lightweight fight, plus unbeaten **Cody Crowley** faces veteran contender **Josesito Lopez** in a 10-round duel of all-action welterweights that kicks off the telecast.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Man Down Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

“One of the year’s biggest events will feature a deserving pay-per-view undercard lineup loaded with consequential matchups that are primed to deliver drama and action,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Isaac Cruz showed against Gervonta Davis that he is a star in the making, and he’ll be looking to display those talents once again against an accomplished opponent in Yuriorkis Gamboa. Plus, another rising star in Jose Valenzuela will step up in competition against former champion Francisco Vargas, while Cody Crowley and Josesito Lopez will both bring their high-octane styles into the ring in what shapes up to be a ‘can’t-miss’ showdown to open the loaded SHOWTIME PPV.”

The 23-year-old Cruz (22-2-1, 15 KOs) will return to the ring after dropping a competitive decision against three-division champion Gervonta Davis on SHOWTIME PPV in December. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the lightweight rankings in 2020, announcing his presence with an electrifying first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in October. Cruz followed that up in 2021 by winning a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Matías Romero in March and by defeating former champion Francisco Vargas by decision in June. After making his U.S. debut in December 2019, Cruz went unbeaten in his next four bouts, appearing on SHOWTIME^® three times in addition to beating Magdaleno on the Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz SHOWTIME PPV undercard.

“I can’t wait to be back in the ring and to fight at AT&T Stadium,” said Cruz. “I love the fans in Texas, they always give me tremendous support. My promoter, Manny Pacquiao, has fought at AT&T Stadium before and won both times. I’m excited to follow in his footsteps against a very accomplished former champion in Gamboa. I’m coming to show the fans why I’m one of the best lightweights in the world and to drive Gamboa into retirement on April 16.”

Gamboa (30-4, 18 KOs) is a former unified featherweight champion, holding the IBF and WBA 126-pound titles between 2009 and 2011. A native of Guantanamo, Cuba, he now lives and trains in Miami, Fla. He dropped a showdown against Terence Crawford in a 2014 Fight of the Year, before rebounding to win seven of eight fights. That run included victories over former world champions Jason Sosa and Roman Martinez, putting Gamboa back into world title contention. In his last two fights, Gamboa has dropped contests against current lightweight world champions, losing via 12^th-round TKO to Gervonta Davis in 2019 and by decision against Devin Haney in November 2020.

“I always come to the ring to display my talents and April 16 will be no different,” said Gamboa. “It’s very motivating to be facing a young, strong opponent like Isaac Cruz. I’m going to test him and see if he can stand up to my power. I’m coming to win and make a big statement that I still have what it takes to become champion again.”

The 22-year-old Valenzuela (11-0, 7 KOs) now trains as a stablemate of unbeaten two-time world champion David Benavidez as he seeks to move from prospect to contender in 2022. Born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Valenzuela turned pro in 2018 and rode a five-bout knockout streak before earning his first 10-round decision in a victory over Deiner Berrio in September 2021. Valenzuela capped off his breakout 2021 in December, dominating Austin Dulay on his way to a TKO in round four.

“It’s a dream come true to be on a high-stakes, stacked card like this,” said Valenzuela. “I’ve admired and studied Spence for a long time, especially because we’re both lefties. I can’t wait to get in the ring. I’m not overlooking or underestimating Francisco Vargas in any way. I’m expecting fireworks. You always get a big fight when two Mexican warriors go head-to-head, so I know the fans are going to be delighted with what they see on April 16.”

Fighting out of Mexico City, Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) won a 130-pound title in 2015 by defeating Takashi Miura in one of the year’s best fights. The 37-year-old would go on to fight Orlando Salido to an action-packed draw before losing his title to Miguel Berchelt in another memorable affair. Vargas later defeated Stephen Smith and Rod Salka before losing in his rematch with Berchelt in 2019. Most recently, Vargas began campaigning at lightweight, scoring back-to-back victories over Ezequiel Aviles in 2019 and Otto Gamez in 2020, prior to dropping a decision against Isaac Cruz in his last fight in June 2021.

“It is an honor to be on such a big card with so many great fighters,” said Vargas. “I’m going to come prepared for this fight and ready to leave the ring with a victory. I know Valenzuela will be trying to make a statement, but I’m coming to do the same. As always, the fans can expect a tremendous fight from start to finish.”

Representing his native Ontario, Canada, Crowley (20-0, 9 KOs) returns to the ring after a sensational SHOWTIME debut in December 2021 that saw him beat the previously unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov by unanimous decision. Crowley had previously defeated Josh Torres in September 2020 following a 2019 run that saw him win a Canadian super welterweight title with a 12-round decision over Stuart McLellan in February before successfully defending that title with a dominant decision over Mian Hussain in October. The 28-year-old returned to fight in the U.S. for his last two fights after seven of his first eight pro fights took place in the U.S.

“After my win in December on SHOWTIME, I’m ready to accept the next challenge on my journey to becoming welterweight champion of the world,” said Crowley. “Josesito Lopez is always tough and he brings an exciting style to the table. Unfortunately for him, he will discover what 20 fighters before him have learned, which is that I will not be stopped from achieving my destiny. I want to thank my team for this opportunity to display my skills, heart and relentlessness on this great card at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.”

Lopez (38-8, 21 KOs) earned the nickname “The Riverside Rocky’’ because of his go-for-broke style in the ring. He has stepped in across from some of the top boxers in the sport, including champions Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana, Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz. The 37-year-old from Riverside, California is always a tough out in the ring as noted by his narrow majority decision loss to then-champion Keith Thurman in 2019. Since that loss, Lopez has put together back-to-back victories, defeating John Molina, Jr. and Francisco Santana.

“I’m eager and very motivated to step back in the ring and prove myself as one of the best fighters in the world,” said Lopez. “I expect a stiff challenge from Crowley and the fans can expect to see me at my very best. I’m in great shape and ready to put everything on the line. You will definitely want to make sure you don’t miss my fight on April 16.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceUgas, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

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GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH THRILLING UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER ISAAC “PITBULL” CRUZ

December 7, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

Text

Description automatically generated — ***Sebastian Fundora Outpoints Sergio Garcia in Co-Main Event;***
***Carlos Adames Defeats Sergiy Derevyanchenko in an Exciting Fight,***
***and Eduardo Ramirez Dominates Miguel Marriaga***
***in SHOWTIME PPV Undercard Action***

**Click** **HERE** **for Photos from Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions**

**Click** **HERE** **for Photos from Esther Lin / SHOWTIME**

**Click** **HERE** **for Photos from Sean Michael Ham / Mayweather Promotions**

**LOS ANGELES** (December 5, 2021) –Boxing superstar and five-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis put his boxing skills on display, winning a rousing 12-round round unanimous decision over the relentless **Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz** to retain his WBA Lightweight World Title in front of a star-studded, sellout crowd of 15,850 at STAPLES Center live on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View, in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Scorecards read 116-112 and two scores of 115-113, all for Davis.

The atmosphere in the arena was electric, with scores of current and former NBA stars in attendance, including Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kawhi Leonard, Dwight Howard, Kenny Smith, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce among others.

Accompanied by superstar rapper Lil Durk, Davis entered the ring in Laker purple and gold; tassels along his trunks with the late Kobe Bryant’s number “8” and “24” on each side. Cruz celebrated his Mexican heritage with a mariachi band behind him as he strode toward the ring.

There was no feeling-out process in the first. Cruz charged at the defending champion, pinning him against the ropes and wailing away.

“That’s my style. ‘Pitbull’ is always going to be on the attack,” said Cruz. “I think we retained rhythm from the start to the end.”

Davis found his rhythm in the second and third, circling the ring and walking Cruz into shots. In the fourth, Cruz concentrated his attack on the body, pounding Davis’ ribs.

The 27-year-old Baltimore native turned on the power in the fourth, alternating between the right hook and left cross behind his southpaw stance. More punishing blows came from Davis during the fifth.

“He’s a shorter fighter, so I was throwing down on the top of his head,” said Davis. “I hit him with my knuckle and messed it up. I hurt my hand in the sixth round. No matter if the opponent is taller or shorter, I’ve got to get through it. He’s a warrior. Even though he didn’t win, a star was born tonight.”

“It was right around the fifth round I saw that his hand wasn’t working correctly,” Cruz observed.

Davis boxed beautifully in the middle rounds, firing quick shots and pivoting away from the return fire. A right hook in the eighth briefly buzzed Cruz and brought the audience to their feet. But just when it appeared as if the fight was slipping away, Cruz fought fire with fire, landing a flush uppercut seconds before the bell.

The 23-year-old Mexican picked up the pace in the latter rounds, keeping Davis on his toes and pounding away. Davis held his own, fighting back on even terms until the fight’s end.

Naturally, Cruz believed he deserved the victory.

“Viva Mexico. I have nothing to say, the fans are speaking on who won this fight,” he said.

Following a successful title defense, Davis said he’s ready for all comers.

“L.A., we did it for Kobe,” said Davis. “At the beginning of the fight, he came on strong. I felt as the fight was going, he was breaking down. But I hurt my hand, so I wasn’t able to get him out of there.

“Whatever the best opportunity is for me, I’ll do it. All of them guys are easy work. I’m the top dog.”

In the co-main event, **Sebastian “Towering Inferno” Fundora** moved closer to a world title shot with a 12-round unanimous decision over the previously-unbeaten **Sergio Garcia** in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator.

Final scores read 118-110, 117-111 and 115-113.

Fundora established control quickly in the first, snapping Spain’s Garcia’s head back with a booming left. The two traded evenly through the early rounds. Garcia had his moments, including a sharp overhand right in the fifth that drew blood from Fundora’s nose.

The 23-year-old Fundora found his range in the sixth, pumping the jab and using his 6-foot-5 frame and 80-inch reach to keep Garcia at bay.

“I was using my distance a lot more. I wanted to display something different than what I’m used to,” said Fundora. “Height was definitely a difference in this fight.”

Garcia struggled to land during the second half of the bout, save for a couple moments in the 12^th when the two combatants stood toe-to-toe.

“Maybe things could have been different if I had been more aggressive from the beginning,” said Garcia. “I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away by what he was doing.”

Fundora believes he’s ready for a world title shot.

“We just beat the No. 2 in the WBC, so we have No.1, and we have the champion,” said Fundora. “Whoever they give us next, we’re ready for.”

In a thrilling back and forth, **Carlos Adames** (21-1, 16 KOs) overcame a stiff challenge from former world title challenger **Sergiy Derevyanchenko** (13-4, 10 KOs) to win a 10-round majority decision in their WBC Middleweight World Title Eliminator.

Both combatants had their moments, but facing the toughest opponent of his career, the 27-year-old Adames shined. One judge scored the middleweight bout even at 95-95, while the other two scored it for Adames by scores of 96-94 and 97-93.

“This means a lot for me in my career and this is a big accomplishment winning against a fighter of his caliber,” said Adames, who was born in the Dominican Republic and fights out of Washington Heights in New York City.

“I am aggressive and speedy by nature, so I came in ready to do my thing. He started slow, wanting to see what would happen, and simply had the wrong game plan. He got a bit tired as the fight went on, took a lot of hard shots from me and it was evident that I caused him a lot of damage.”

“I expect my opponent to fight the same style. It was nothing special for me, just a quality fight,” said Derevyanchenko.

“He stayed southpaw, that was the difference in the fight. I don’t know what I’ll do next. I need a little bit of rest and then I will go back to the gym because I love boxing and I love the show.”

“This gives me an opportunity to move on,” said Adames. “I dominate at both 154 and 160, so wherever they give me the opportunity to fight for a championship is where I’ll go.”

In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME PPV telecast, super featherweight contender **Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez** (26-2-3, 12 KOs) was in peak form, winning a wide 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger **Miguel Marriaga**.

“I would like to thank the fans, SHOWTIME and the Montiel family for supporting me. Marriaga was a tough opponent, but I managed to dominate,” said Ramirez. “I had a varied fighting style and kept him on his toes the whole time.”

Marriaga (30-5, 26 KOs) was the aggressor throughout, particularly in the first round as he backed Ramirez up with combination punching. The latter found his range midway through the frame, utilizing an accurate jab. In the third, a right hook followed by an overhand left floored an off-balance Marriaga for a flash knockdown.
“We started out strong, but then things got progressively harder. Having said that, we are pleased with the work we put in today,” said Marriaga. “We should have been more savvy, but we tried our hardest in the face of a great opportunity that unfortunately we could not take advantage of.”

Ramirez dominated after scoring the knockdown, punishing Marriaga from then on with an assortment of shots to the head and body. Final punch stats had Ramirez landing 280 of 762 (36.7%) total punches to Marriaga’s 159 out of 689 (21.3%).

“Now I’m going to relax with my family and enjoy the holidays,” said Ramirez. “Then hopefully 2022 will come with a title shot for me.”

Tonight’s blockbuster pay-per-view event will re-air on SHOWTIME this Saturday, December 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The delayed telecast of Davis vs. Cruz will open the telecast featuring WBC Bantamweight World Champion and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire as he will defend his title against undefeated top contender and fellow Filipino countryman Reymart Gaballo headlining in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Tennis Stadium in Carson.

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME PPV telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo handled blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Hall of Famers rounded out the SHOWTIME telecast team – Emmy® award winning reporter Jim Gray, unofficial scorer Steve Farhood, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The executive producer was four-time Emmy® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The telecast was directed by Bob Dunphy. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna served as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromotions, @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions/.

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Gervonta Davis to Defend WBA Lightweight World Title Against Hard-Hitting Isaac Cruz – Sunday, December 5

November 5, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

Unbeaten Five-Time World Champion Gervonta Davis to Defend WBA Lightweight World Title Against Hard-Hitting Isaac Cruz on Sunday, December 5 on SHOWTIME PPV^®

Cruz Replaces Rolando Romero in Main Event at

STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

Tickets on Sale Now!

LOS ANGELES (November 3, 2021) – Unbeaten five-time world champion and boxing’s hottest attraction Gervonta “Tank” Davis will defend his WBA Lightweight Championship against hard-hitting Isaac “Pitbull’’ Cruz on Sunday, December 5 live on SHOWTIME PPV from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Cruz, ranked No. 2 in the IBF, steps in to replace Rolando Romero.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Davis’ third-straight pay-per-view headlining attraction will see him battle the hardnosed Cruz, who has rightly earned the nickname “Pitbull’’ during his professional career.

“This is going to be a tremendous fight on SHOWTIME PPV,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Isaac Cruz was ready for this big opportunity and I expect him to come ready to deliver the fight of his life. However, Gervonta Davis is a generational talent who’s only getting better. This fight is going to end in spectacular fashion on December 5.”

“Kudos to Isaac Cruz for stepping in as a replacement opponent in a high-pressure, pay per view fight against one of the brightest stars in boxing in Gervonta Davis,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Cruz presents a different, and some would argue a more difficult challenge to Tank Davis. Cruz won’t back down and he’ll bring the fight to Davis from the opening bell. We’ve all seen Gervonta’s blend of superb boxing skills and explosive power, and we know what he’s capable of. It will be the irresistible force versus the immovable object, which means fireworks at STAPLES Center and on SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, December 5.’’

Davis (25-0, 24 KOs), star of the Mayweather Promotions stable, added another highlight filled performance in June, as he stopped previously unbeaten Mario Barrios to capture a 140-pound title and become a three-division world champion. The Baltimore-native captured his lightweight championship with a 12^th-round knockout of former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in December 2019.

“I respect Isaac Cruz for stepping up and taking the fight, but everyone knows what I do,” said Davis. “I come in looking for the knockout and that’s exactly what I’m going to do in this fight. I’m back in Los Angeles where the stars shine and I’m going to light it up against Isaac Cruz at STAPLES Center on December 5.’’

The 23-year-old Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) will be looking to rough up Davis and make him work overtime if he wants to come away with the win. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the lightweight rankings in 2020, announcing his presence with an electrifying first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in September. Cruz followed that up in 2021 by winning a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Matías Romero in March, and most recently defeating former champion Francisco Vargas by decision in June. Since making his U.S. debut in December 2019, the 23-year-old has gone unbeaten in his next four ring appearances, appearing on SHOWTIME three times in addition to beating Magdaleno on the Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz SHOWTIME PPV undercard.

“First I want to thank Gervonta Davis and his team for this opportunity – an opportunity I won’t let get past me,’’ Cruz said. “God willing I’ll be world champion on December 5. This fight is a very big motivation for me as a professional and as a personal goal. I’m sure after December 5 everyone in boxing will know the name Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.’’

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on social media platforms #DavisCruz, on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromotions, @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions/.