Two lightweights who’ve lost to Gervonta Davis will attempt to win their way toward another title shot April 16.
BoxingScene.com has learned that Isaac Cruz and Yuriorkis Gamboa have agreed to meet in a 12-round, 135-pound bout on the Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas undercard at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Showtime Pay-Per-View will televise the Cruz-Gamboa bout as the co-feature before Spence and Ugas square off in a welterweight title unification fight at the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys.
The news was first reported on ESPN.com.
Mexico’s Cruz (22-2-1, 15 KOs) gave Davis perhaps the most difficult fight of his career December 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old Cruz ended Davis’ 16-fight knockout streak and pushed the three-division champion in their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event.
Baltimore’s Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) aggravated a pre-existing injury to his left hand during his victory over Cruz, but Cruz displayed durability and toughness during what was a challenging championship match for him as well. Judges Carla Caiz and Max De Luca scored Davis only a 115-113 winner versus Cruz, who lost 116-112 on the card of judge Zachary Young.
Gamboa (30-4, 18 KOs), who turned 40 late in December, hasn’t boxed in 15 months. The former three-division champion lost a lopsided, 12-round unanimous decision to unbeaten WBC world lightweight champ Devin Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) in his most recent action, which took place in November 2020 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
The Cuban-born, Miami-based Gamboa, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, was supposed to face Chris Colbert on July 3 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. He withdrew from that 12-round WBA interim super featherweight championship match against Brooklyn’s Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs) less than two weeks in advance due to rib and heel injuries.
Cruz-Gamboa will be one of four fights Showtime will televise as part of its pay-per-view event April 16. As BoxingScene.com previously reported, Jose Valenzuela (11-0, 7 KOs), a 22-year-old lightweight prospect from Seattle, will meet Mexico City’s Francisco Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs), a former WBC super featherweight champ, in a 10-round lightweight bout.
Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), of DeSoto, Texas, and the Cuban-born Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) will fight for Spence’s IBF and WBC welterweight titles, as well as Ugas’ WBA “super” 147-pound crown.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.