Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs Jose Valenzuela: Who Wins?

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Sina Latif | Last updated Aug 3, 2024 1:01 PM ET

One of the most exciting fighters in the world, current WBA super lightweight champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs), will return to the ring in his first defense on the stacked LA card on August 3rd against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs). This is one exciting fight out of many on a loaded card headlined by pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, who takes on the hard-hitting, undefeated WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov.

How Did We Get Here?

Both men enter off the back of the best wins of their careers. Cruz’s all-action style has helped him develop a passionate fanbase. His aggressive, purely offensive-minded style creates exciting fights, and fans love him for it. Since losing a close unanimous decision to one of the finest fighters in the game, Gervonta Davis, in their December 2021 showdown, Cruz has won all four fights, scoring three stoppage victories. These wins were against Eduardo Ramirez, a then-undefeated Giovanni Cabrera, and former champions Yuriorkis Gamboa and Rolando “Rolly” Romero. Cruz’s most recent outing was an eighth-round stoppage of Romero last March to capture his first major world title.

Valenzuela does not come into this fight with Cruz’s momentum or resume, but the manner of his revenge stoppage win against Chris Colbert in their immediate rematch, with that brutal sixth-round KO, certainly turned a lot of heads. With names such as Davis, Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Jose Ramirez, Liam Paro, and Subriel Matias in or around 140 pounds, potential big fights are on the horizon for the winner.

Will “Pitbull” Cruz vs Valenzuela Steal The Show?

Speaking at the pre-fight press conference, both men seemed confident of victory. “I got the height, I got the length, I got the skills,” Valenzuela said. Cruz would then follow that and say: “We’re expecting the very best from him (Valenzuela), but the main thing is that I’m coming into this really well prepared, and I’m intending to come away with the victory.”

Cruz will be the obvious favorite to prevail as the victor here. However, that’s by no means a given. Cruz struggled against tall southpaw Cabrera, and Valenzuela is a tall southpaw who also packs a punch. The way Valenzuela blitzed through Colbert in their rematch was also an indicator that the Mexican had reached a new level under the guidance of trainer Robert Garcia.

The story of the fight will be about Cruz’s volume punching and pressure against Valenzuela’s defense. It won’t be surprising if Cruz overwhelms Valenzuela, but an upset cannot be ruled out in the form of the banana skin that is Valenzuela. This should be an intriguing one.

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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