Lightweight contender Andy Cruz looks forward to his ten-round fight against veteran Antonio Moran this Saturday night in the Riyadh Season event at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
(Credit: Amanda Westcott/Matchroom)
The 2020 Cuban Olympic gold medalist Cruz (3-0, 1 KO) wants to gain more experience by beating Moran (30-6-1, 20 K1s) on this card, which will be shown on DAZN and ESPN+ PPV.
Cruz’s Quest for Experience
Despite Cruz’s only three pro fights, three sanctioning bodies ranked him in the top 10. Many fans feel he’s one of the top three fighters in the 135-lb division, just behind Gervonta Davis and Vasily Lomachenko.
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing promotes Cruz, who wants to challenge for a world title in 2025. Hearn will need to find top contenders willing to fight Cruz because he’s already having problems getting fighters willing to face him.
Cruz’s former victim, Keyshawn Davis, has rejected the possibility of fighting him. Keyshawn’s disinterest in fighting Cruz doesn’t bother the talented Cuban because he sees it as a father-son match, given his four wins over Davis in the amateur ranks.
“I’m expecting a tough challenge. The guy is very experienced. He’s obviously much more experienced than me in the professional side of the sport,” said Andy Cruz to Title Sports Network, talking about his fight against Antonio Moran this Saturday night on August 3rd at on and DAZN ESPN+ PPV.
A knockout win for Cruz over Moran would help him gain more attention from fans. Cruz trains in the same gym as Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and it would serve him well to emulate his style in the pro ranks.
Cruz’s History with Keyshawn Davis
“Tests like this serve well for the future. There’s a bit of history there. We met each other four times in the amateurs. I’ve managed to come out successfully in each of the four occasions, but they’ve all been close affairs,” said Andy Cruz about Keyshawn Davis.
It’s unlikely that Keyshawn would ever agree to fight Cruz because it’s a bad match-up for the Virginia native, who is trying to get money fights. Cruz would potentially mess up Keyshawn’s plans. If Keyshawn wanted to make a name for himself, he’d fight Cruz and show he could avenge his loss.
“There’s a lot of history. We know each other, and that’s why there’s always a lot of talk between us. I think he wants it a little bit more than me,” Cruz said about Keyshawn. He’s a little bit wound up about it, while I’m a little more relaxed about it. If it were, I think it would be more of a father-son encounter. ”
It’s understandable why Keyshawn is still upset about his four defeats to Cruz. He dominated Keyshawn in each of their fights, showing that he didn’t belong on his level.
Looking Ahead to Future Challenges
“For me, it would be the legends of the division. Lomachenko, Tank and Shakur. Those guys would be dream opponents,” said Cruz about fighters he’d like to fight at lightweight. There are so many stand-out fighters in that division. It would be difficult to pick one out.”
Of the three names Cruz would like to fight, Shakur is the more doable one because he’s desperate for a big fight and appears willing to face anyone.
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