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Isaac Cruz vs Lamont Roach: Who Wins?

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Ryan O'Hara | Last updated Dec 5, 2025 4:50 PM ET

Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. are set to meet Saturday at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, with the victor securing mandatory challenger status for Subriel Matías’s WBC junior welterweight title.

Isaac Cruz vs. Lamont Roach Breakdown

The 27-year-old Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KO’s) will look to employ his trademark strategy of unrelenting pressure, advancing in measured increments behind subtle feints, disciplined level changes, and a compact high guard designed to suffocate his opponents’ offensive options.

While Cruz is frequently labeled a brawler, he is not the archetype of one. The traditional brawler marches forward with little strategic foresight; Cruz, by contrast, demonstrates a degree of tactical awareness that separates him from that stereotype—though the final product can, at times, be difficult to watch for purists of the craft. Nevertheless, his approach is undeniably effective. Expect him to probe Roach’s composure early, forcing the challenger to operate under immediate and sustained duress.

On the other side of the stylistic equation is Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs), who holds the clear technical advantage at long range. He possesses a sharp jab, disciplined footwork, and a fundamentally sound skill set. More importantly, Roach, 30, is one of the most underrated counterpunchers in boxing today. He excels at creating small pockets of space and exploiting that real estate to land precise counters at a distance. We saw him frustrate Gervonta “Tank” Davis in stretches with his timing and accuracy en route to their heavily-controversial draw earlier this year.

The early rounds will be Cruz’s best opportunity to make a significant impact. Once Roach settles into a rhythm, he’ll be waiting to bait Cruz into overcommitting and diving into traps. When Cruz lunges forward—which he inevitably does—Roach will step back, pivot left or right, and fire off a full arsenal of counters. This matchup pits a come-forward pressure fighter with a shorter reach against a seasoned technician equipped with multiple tools to neutralize him. Expect Roach to repeatedly catch Cruz coming in, disrupting the bull-rush entries that define Cruz’s offense. And frankly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cruz finds himself on the canvas at some point.

At the same time, Roach cannot afford lapses in focus—particularly in the opening rounds, when Cruz is at his most dangerous and most willing to unleash high-volume combinations. If Roach can weather that initial storm, the fight should gradually tilt in his favor. This is a classic case of a bully-style brawler colliding with a true technician, and historically, the technician tends to prevail.

However, Roach may need to do a little more than just “win” the rounds to secure the verdict. Given the controversy surrounding the Tank Davis fight and everything that’s been said since, he needs to be mindful of the scoring optics. The judges might produce tighter scorecards than expected, but even with that in mind, Roach should earn a unanimous decision.