SANTA MONICA, California – One thing Cuba’s Andy Cruz has proven he can do is win fights in the Olympics, so even if he’s not entered in these Summer Games in Paris, he has the opportunity to further his professional ambitions Saturday in Los Angeles.
On a high-profile card at BMO Stadium that Cruz (3-0) calls his most important professional bout yet, the 2020 Olympic lightweight gold medalist will meet veteran Antonio Moran (30-6-1, 21 KOs) in a lightweight meeting that should bolster his current top-10 rankings among three sanctioning bodies.
“For sure, I reckon it’s a fight that’s going to open lots of doors for me for bigger fights into the future,” Cruz told BoxingScene at the fighters’ grand arrivals at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday.
Cruz participates in a loaded division that includes titleholders Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko and consensus No. 1 contender William Zepeda.
The 28-year-old Cruz arrives with the pedigree of being a product of the gold-standard Cuban amateur system, and he has lost only two rounds on one judge’s scorecard through 23 professional rounds.
He said he is not calling out any champion.
“It’s all about fighting the best, and I want to fight all of them,” he said. “It’s just a question of time.”
Cruz admits he is keeping his eye on the Paris Games, and wanted to deliver a message to his Cuban countrymen who are still competing: flyweight Alejandro Claro, lightweight Erislandy Alvarez and middleweight Arlen Lopez.
“For sure, I have a message for them: Stay in each fight, see how it’s progressing,” Cruz said. “Show your talent, because you all know you have talent. Make sure you’re in the mix toward the end of the fight and give your extra grains of sand [effort] toward winning medals for Cuba, because it’s a great honor to do so.”
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