Issac “Pitbull” Cruz has heard the trash talk from Rolando Romero, and he isn’t bothered.
The fighters will meet in the ring March 30 on the Amazon Prime pay-per-view bill headlined by Keith Thurman–Tim Tszyu.
In the build-up to the fight, Romero has, in his own inimitable way, sold the fight. The WBA junior welterweight champion can be quite entertaining, as evidenced by one comment when he described “Pitbull” as “a chihuahua.”“You know what, I respect it,” Cruz told Boxing Scene via a translator. “He can do him, but in the end, this chihuahua is getting ready to be Romero’s worst nightmare of his life.”
Despite drawing massive fanfare, Cruz, 25, has never held a world title in his career. That could change on March 30.
Cruz, of Mexico City, fought Gervonta Davis for a form of the WBA lightweight world title in 2021, losing a close unanimous decision to the popular lightweight. In the process, he gained a legion of new fans.
This will be Cruz’s second attempt at fighting for a world title. The bout will also be contested at his new weight, junior welterweight. Cruz, at 5-foot-4, has an atypical frame for a 140-pounder.
“I am very happy, and I am very ready to face a new challenge [at junior welterweight],” Cruz said. “We have had a great training camp, where we have been working on adapting to all the little imperfections the new weight carries.”
Romero will be returning to the ring for the first time since stopping Ismael Barroso via a contentious stoppage last May. Coming on strong but down on the scorecards in the ninth round, Romero landed a big shot. Barroso, although rocked, fired back with a combination of his own. Referee Tony Weeks intervened nonetheless and stopped the fight.
Cruz doesn’t think one way or another about Romero’s past performance.
“Look, we all have bad nights,” Cruz said. “Clearly, Rolando had a bad night. But I really couldn’t care less.”
Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KOs), though three years younger than the 28-year-old Romero (15-1, 13 KOs), has fought 140 professional rounds, compared to the champion’s 66. Cruz says he won’t underestimate Romero.
“I am not about to take anything away from him,” Cruz said. “He is a world champion in two different divisions for a reason. I am working on pinpointing his weaknesses and taking advantage of them, and that is exactly what I am going to do.”