Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz looked angry during his face-off with challenger Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela at their grand arrival in Los Angeles on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s fight on August 3rd at the BMO Stadium.
Rayo smiled at Pitbull during the face-off and patted him on the shoulder before turning to face the crowd. Cruz looked like he wanted to swat Rayo when he made contact with him, and he wasn’t interested in showing any niceties.
(Photo credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
The 5’10” ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs) towered over WBA light welterweight champion “Pitbull” Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) during their face-off. The height difference was dramatic, and it could be a factor in the fight.
Cruz is the favorite in this fight against Valenzuela in their co-feature clash, live on DAZN PPV in the Riyadh Season event. You can’t count out Rayo because of his height, power, and new fighting style.
Cruz Favored, But Rayo’s New Style Poses a Threat
‘Rayo,’ 25, has adopted a pretty fair copy of Vasily Lomachenko’s fighting style with the movement, and it worked well for him in his recent sixth-round knockout win over Chris Colbert in their rematch last December.
Cruz is coming off an eighth-round knockout win over Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero last March in Las Vegas. He looked great against Rolly, but he’s not on the same level as Rayo in terms of talent and power.
Chris Mannix: “Jose, in his first fight, he won a world title. In your first fight at 140, what gives you the confidence that you can do the same thing?”
Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela: “My hard work. I’ve been very focused and training hard. I’m ready to make the best of it.”
Mannix: “This guy [Pitbull Cruz] brings a lot of pressure in the ring. What’s the key for you to deal with that pressure?”
‘Rayo’ Valenzuela: “Just being smart, being relaxed and firing back.”
Mannix: “Isaac, first title defense. How are you feeling fighting as a world champion?”
Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz: “I’ve prepared really hard. It’s a great feeling to go out there as a world champion. I’m going to put on a great show for the Californians and for the people in Mexico, too.”
Mannix: “You always bring a lot of fans do your fights. I’m sure there will be a lot of fans on Saturday. There’s a lot of fans here today just to support you. What kind of show will you put on Saturday night?
‘Pitbull’ Cruz: “I want to put a 1000% and every ounce of energy that people can see my great performance and deliver on Saturday night.”
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