‘Pitbull’ Cruz Eyes The ‘Throne’ After Canelo’s Retirement

Isaac Cruz is positioning himself to become Mexico’s top fighter once Canelo Alvarez leaves the sport. 

Cruz is scheduled to face Lamont Roach Jr. on December 6 in a defense of his WBC Interim Junior Welterweight Title. A win keeps him in a position to take on the full champion Subriel Matias. Cruz has been on an excellent run of form, with six wins from his last seven. As for Canelo, he lost his Undisputed Super Middleweight title against Terence Crawford in September. That was only Canelo’s third loss of his career, as he ruled out an immediate retirement. Canelo has been Mexico’s biggest name, alongside David Benavidez. However, Cruz hopes to position himself as the next big name, which is why he must beat Roach. 

Cruz Reacts

“Look, there’s nothing to take away from Canelo, because he has done absolutely everything he’s put his mind to – being undisputed, pay-per-view, winning multiple titles. Over 20 years, he’s built a career that could only attempt to be replicated. Having said that, Father Time comes for all of us. The pounding takes its toll. Canelo may not be who he used to be.

“At the same time, I know I’m not going to be the one who retires him or says when he should step away. That should be on his own terms. When that happens, I’m going to be ready to take the mantle, whether that means carrying the Mexican flag with pride, being the one who sells the most pay-per-views … anything that’s required as the future face of boxing for me as a Mexican, I’m going to be ready for it,” Cruz said 

The Reality

Cruz possesses the qualities needed to succeed Canelo: marketability and an action-packed style. His nickname, “Pitbull,” perfectly encapsulates his relentless, aggressive, forward-marching style that Mexican fans adore. Achieving undisputed status at 140 pounds is the only way for Cruz to realistically generate the global mainstream appeal and legacy necessary to even be considered a successor to Canelo.

The main impediment to Cruz’s goal is the existence of other fighters. First is David Benavidez, who is undefeated, often viewed as the heir apparent to Canelo due to his size and devastating knockout power. For Cruz to leapfrog the accomplishments of Benavidez, he would have to win titles in more than one weight class. Benavidez has won belts at 168 and 175. And with two losses on his record, Cruz can be beaten.