On February 1 (February 2 Japan time), former WBA super lightweight world champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (Mexico), currently ranked No. 2 by the WBO, No. 3 by the WBC, No. 9 by the IBF, and No. 8 by the WBA in the lightweight division, faced WBC super lightweight No. 11 Angel Fierro (Mexico) in a rematch at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA, under a Premier Boxing Champions event.
Their bout, which took place on the undercard of the Benavidez vs. Morrell fight, turned into an intense slugfest from the opening round. Cruz launched forward with explosive left hooks and sharp right straights from a crouched stance, displaying dynamic movement. Fierro, although being pushed back, fought back with powerful left hooks and right uppercuts. In round three, he managed to stagger Cruz with a solid right hook.
Cruz continued to press Fierro with powerful punches, but despite being rocked by Cruz’s left and right hooks to the chin, Fierro fired back from the inside with right straights and left uppercuts. The fierce exchange between the two fighters continued all the way until the final bell.
After going the full 10 rounds, Cruz was awarded a unanimous decision victory with scores of 98–92, 97–93, and 96–94. The bout was so thrilling that it has been mentioned as a candidate for Fight of the Year.
In preparation for the rematch, Fierro has already begun training under renowned trainer and “champion maker” Robert Garcia, gearing up for redemption.
Cruz vs. Fierro 2 is scheduled to take place on July 19 (July 20 Japan time) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as part of a major event headlined by 46-year-old former six-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (Philippines), who will make his comeback in a title bout against WBC welterweight world champion Mario Barrios (USA), who holds a record of 29 wins (18 KOs), 2 losses, and 1 draw.
The same event will also feature a WBC super welterweight world title match between current champion Sebastian Fundora (USA), with a record of 22 wins (14 KOs), 1 loss, and 1 draw, and former WBO champion and current No. 3 ranked contender Tim Tszyu (Australia), who holds a record of 25 wins (18 KOs) and 2 losses.
Tszyu, who was undefeated at the time, previously faced Fundora at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 30 of last year (March 31 Japan time). Near the end of the second round, he suffered a cut to his forehead due to an accidental headbutt. Despite continuing to fight through heavy bleeding for the full 12 rounds, Tszyu lost by split decision and relinquished his title.
In his comeback fight held on October 19 of last year (October 20 Japan time) at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, Tim Tszyu challenged IBF super welterweight world champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (Russia / based in California, USA), who entered the bout undefeated with 23 wins (17 KOs).
Tszyu came into the fight full of confidence and was considered the favorite by many. However, the bout turned into a disaster, as he was knocked down four times and suffered a devastating TKO loss at 1:55 of the third round. It was a crushing defeat—hard to watch—and the strong image Tszyu had built was shattered. Doubts about his limits began to surface, and it became clear that his path back to a world title would be an extremely difficult one.
However, Tszyu did not give up on reclaiming a world title. On April 6, at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia, he broke his losing streak by defeating Joseph Spencer (USA), who had a record of 19 wins (11 KOs) and 2 losses, via TKO at 2:18 of the fourth round. The bout ended when Spencer’s corner threw in the towel following a flurry of punches from Tszyu. However, Spencer was seen as a limited opponent, and the match did not provide a clear gauge of Tszyu’s full return to form.
Fundora, who suffered a nasal bone fracture in his bout against Tszyu, had been scheduled to defend his title against Errol Spence Jr. (USA)—a former unified WBC, IBF, and WBA (Super) welterweight champion and then-WBC No. 1 ranked contender. However, the bout faced repeated postponements before ultimately being scrapped.
On March 22 (March 23 Japan time), at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Fundora faced WBO No. 5 and WBC No. 13 contender Shonell Booker (USA), who had a record of 23 wins (11 KOs) and 2 losses. Fundora encountered little resistance, securing a TKO victory at 2:51 of the fourth round and successfully making his first title defense.
The rematch, taking place after roughly 16 months, will likely hinge on whether Tszyu has truly returned to form. Based on his performance against Spencer, he still seemed to lack the sharpness of his former self—but that remains to be seen.
Was this the limit for the once-undefeated Tszyu? We look forward to seeing what the future holds!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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