Isaac Cruz Vs. Lamont Roach Jr. – How Does It Play Out?

Isaac Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. is reportedly agreed for December, as we look at how the fight could play out.

Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs), who is the WBC interim junior welterweight champion, will be defending his title for the first time after a win over Omar Salcido in July. Meanwhile, Roach is the current WBA champ at 130, having beaten Hector Garcia in November 2023. He has only made one defense by beating Feargal McCrory.

He then moved up and secured a controversial majority draw with Gervonta Davis in March. The referee’s failure to give Roach a 10-8 round in the ninth once Tank took a voluntary knee prevented him from taking Davis’ WBA Lightweight Belt. A rematch was on course for August but Tank’s decision to box Jake Paul in November prevented that, as Roach will move up to 140 for Cruz. 

The Approach

Cruz’s primary goal will be to use his relentless pressure and power to overwhelm Roach from the opening bell. Cruz, who has shown in his past fights that he is a master of cutting off the ring and forcing a toe-to-toe brawl, will look to get inside Roach’s range and unleash his devastating hooks and body shots. We saw this strategy to great effect in his fight against Gervonta Davis, where he was able to land a number of punishing shots despite losing the fight. He applied the same tactic against Rolando Romero, as he stopped him. 

Roach’s best chance at victory is to use his technical skills and mobility to outbox Cruz. Roach will need to use his jab and footwork to stay on the outside, frustrate Cruz, and win rounds on the scorecards. He will need to be mobile and avoid getting hit with Cruz’s power shots. We saw this strategy in his controversial draw with Gervonta Davis where he showed that he has the chin to absorb punishment. And with both men having won world titles, this is an intriguing match-up.