LAS VEGAS – Talk about a captive audience.
Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz of Cuba is expected to stage his fifth professional fight Saturday night in front of unbeaten WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson and Cruz’s unbeaten gold medal fight foe, Keyshawn Davis.
Davis is one win from being the WBO lightweight titleholder. He will meet new belt holder Denys Berinchyk on February 14 at the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York City.
Stevenson is preparing for his title defense February 22 in Saudi Arabia versus Floyd Schofield.
“Andy knows what he has to do. Andy’s 29 years old,” said Cruz’s manager, Peter Kahn. “He knows that in every fight, eyes are on him. He has to come out and make a statement.”
Cruz defeated Davis, 4-1, in the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo, and while Davis, 25, of Norfolk, Virginia, has already compiled 12 pro fights while being touted as the brightest young fighter on the Top Rank roster, Cruz is also tracking well, ranked No. 4 in the WBA behind titleholder Gervonta Davis, No. 5 in the IBF and No. 6 in the Stevenson-ruled WBC.
Cruz promoter Eddie Hearn said at Thursday’s news conference that Cruz could use “a couple” more fights before he will be ready for a title shot.
“He just needs to keep developing,” Kahn said of Cruz. “You know how boxing is. … It really depends on the availability of champions and if the fights can be made.
“But he’s been a 10-round fighter since day one. The wealth of amateur experience, being a gold medal winner … he brings this right into the pros. And he hasn’t hesitated to fight anybody.”
Saturday’s bout is substantial with Cruz, 4-0 (2 KOs), meeting Mexico’s Omar Salcido, 20-1 (14 KOs), a 25-year-old feeling the confidence of consecutive wins and improved development against skilled boxers.
“This is a great challenge in front of Andy Saturday night,” Kahn said. “He’s facing a guy who can punch, who’s going to bring pressure and want to stand there and bang with him if that’s what happens. Andy, in every fight, has to make a statement.”
Cruz made one in his last time out, knocking out Mexico’s Antonio Moran in the seventh round of the high-profile August 3 card in Los Angeles headlined by Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov.
And he has spent this entire training camp in Philadelphia with his trainer, Bozy Ennis, father of IBF welterweight titleholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
“What he wants to do is build off the stoppage performance … and Bozy is going to prepare him for whatever is going to come his way,” Kahn said. “Andy knows what he has to do.”
Cruz reminded those attending his news conference and weigh-in this week that he prefers to take a humble approach to his success, but he fully understands the importance of showing silver medalists Davis and Stevenson what gold medal talent looks like in person.
“I know [a rematch as pros] is something Keyshawn wants,” Khan said. “He wants to avenge his amateur losses. Those are the fights Andy wants, too. … He’s definitely fast-tracked, and he’s taken a very game opponent who he has trained for and is ready for.”
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
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