Jose Valenzuela Dethrones Isaac Cruz as Super Lightweight Champion

Jose Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs) won a split decision against Isaac Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) to become the new WBA super lightweight champion.

While one judge had the action 115-113 in favour of Cruz, the other two saw it 116-112 for Valenzuela. “Pitbull” had won the title in March this year with a technical knockout win over Rolando Romero. Only a few months later, Valenzuela claims the belt in his first bout at the super lightweight limit.

Their fight was on the undercard of the Israil Madrimov vs. Terence Crawford world title clash at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Boxing fans in the United States were able to catch the action as a pay-per-view on ESPN+, DAZN and Prime Video. Those in the United Kingdom could also do the same with TNT Sports Box Office. DAZN and PPV.com will also carry the action for the rest of the world.

The Crawford-Madrimov event is part of Riyadh Season, a state-funded entertainment and sports festival in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority is responsible for its organization.

Jose Valenzuela Dethrones Isaac Cruz as 140-lb Champion

Fight Recap

The opening round saw Cruz press forward and chase his opponent around the ring. Valenzuela seemed content with boxing and moving in the early rounds. While “Pitbull” was consistently pressing forward, Valenzuela never seemed particularly bothered with the pressure.

As the fight progressed, the two stuck to their respective styles. Cruz would come forward and apply pressure, while Valenzuela was the more efficient with his punches as he moved around the ring. The style of “Rayo” meant Cruz was never quite able to break down Valenzuela as he had done with past opponents.

In the end, two of the judges preferred the work of Valenzuela over Cruz. With the win, he becomes a world champion for the first time.

Post-fight Interviews

Isaac Cruz

“Listen, I don’t need to say a word, you just take a listen to this crowd,” said Cruz through an interpreter. “They’re the judge of all this. Not me. What I would like to do though is thank the Sheikh [Turki Alalshikh], thank my family, thank my family, thank my team. Just listen to this.”

“I just get on with my job, I never like to make a decision on the result of a fight. I just get on with my work and let everyone else decide.”

When asked about a rematch, he said: “I would like to lay it on the line now. I would like to officially request a rematch on behalf of my people…”

Jose Valenzuela

“I was 100 per cent sure,” said Valenzuela when asked how confident he was in getting the decision. “I was 100 per cent sure.”

“Just be smart, just be smart. I didn’t get desperate, I didn’t fall into the pressure. I stayed calm,” he said about dealing with Cruz’s pressure.

“It [Cruz’s power] was cool. It was cool, nothing crazy. Nothing I never felt. It was good. Solid.”

Undercard Results

Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2-1, 22 KOs) and Jarrell Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs) fought to a majority draw in their 12-round heavyweight contest. While one judge had Miller winning 116-112, the other two saw it 114-114.

Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) won via fifth-round knockout against Jared Anderson (17-1, 15 KOs). The time of stoppage for this 10-round heavyweight clash was 2:07. Bakole sent Anderson to the canvas late in round one. In the fifth, Anderson went down twice before referee Jerry Cantu stepped in to end the contest with the American still standing.

David Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) won a unanimous decision against Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-3, 21 KOs). Scores for the 12-round light heavyweight bout were 118-110 and 117-111.

Andy Cruz (4-0, 2 KOs) won via seventh-round knockout against Antonio Morán (30-7-1, 21 KOs). The time of stoppagefor this 10-round lightweight fight was 2:59. Morán got hit with two right hands towards the end of round seven that had him on wobbly legs. Cruz followed his opponent and landed another right before referee Gerard White stepped in to begin a count, having judged Morán to have been held up by the ropes. Not long after, the fight was waved off after White deemed Morán to be in no position to continue.

Preliminary Undercard Results

On a portion of the undercard that was available on YouTube, Steven Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) won via fifth-round knockout against Marcos Vazquez (20-1-1, 10 KOs, 1 NC). The time of stoppage for this 10-round super middleweight clash was 0:50. Nelson sent his opponent down twice in the third. Vazquez went down from a left uppercut in round three, causing referee Ray Corona to put an end to proceedings.

Opening the broadcast, Ziyad Almaayouf (5-0-1, 1 KO) and Michal Bulik (6-7-1, 2 KOs) fought to a majority draw in a six-round welterweight bout. While one judge had Almaayouf winning 59-55, the other two had it 57-57.