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WBA super lightweight boxing world champion Rolando Romero called Isaac Cruz more difficult than Ryan Garcia. Earlier this year Rolando Romero negotiated to fight Ryan Garcia, but he canceled it and chose to face Isaac Cruz. Rolando Romero, the WBA super lightweight world champion, will face Isaac Cruz on March 30 in the co-main event on a card that will also feature a fight between Keith Thurman and Tim Tszyu at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which will be broadcast via the service Amazon pay-per-view.
Isaac Cruz, a long-time lightweight, will make his 63.5 super lightweight debut against Romero. Both fighters have lost by knockout to boxer Gervonta Davis – Romero by one-punch knockout in 2022, and Cruz by jury decision in 2021.
Romero is very confident that he will crush Cruz, nicknamed “Pitbull,” and even called his opponent “a chihuahua” before the fight started. “We're going to fight like hell,” Romero said.
“One hit for me and one hit for him. I will attack him and beat him to the punch… He will get hit (by my punches) because he has no other choice. He will get hit by a hitter with a force of 63.5 kg. That's it would be very bad,” he boasted.
As proof, Romero points to Cruz's extremely strong technical abilities. “He opens wide every time he throws a punch,” Romero said.
“He almost falls over every time he throws a punch. His balance is terrible. He only has volume when you're standing in front of him. He's got a big head that's going to be hard to miss. … All he has to do is bring his big butt and make sure he adds weight body. It's going to be pretty bad. … I'll give him this: He's got a lot of guts.”
In fairness, Romero has shown his own vulnerabilities. In May, he was awarded a dubious victory in the ninth round against Ismael Barroso, when referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight, although Barroso was able to defend well in the fight he led on all three cards.
“Barroso is the hardest hitter I've ever been in the ring with,” Romero said. “But I almost dropped him.”
Romero also considers Cruz a tougher opponent than Garcia, who is now scheduled to fight WBC super lightweight world champion Devin Haney on April 20.
“He's more durable,” Romero said of Cruz compared to Garcia. “He came to fight. But that doesn't mean I won't beat him. My job is to make the 63.5 kg class the biggest and most exciting division in the world of boxing.”
(aww)