By Allan Fox: Ryan Garcia says he’ll be “ready” to face lightweight Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz in July at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after his fifth-round TKO win over Yuriorkis Gamboa last Saturday night at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya is looking to take advantage of the attention Pitbull Cruz gained from his win over Gamboa last night by offering him $1 million to face Ryan Garcia next.
That’s a sizable chunk of cash that De La Hoya has offered the talented 24-year-old Pitbull, and we’ll now see if the offer is legit or just a case of Oscar clout-chasing to get some badly needed publicity for his fighter Ryan, who needs it more than ever after his poor performance against Emmanuel Tagoe.
Ryan (22-0, 18 KOs) made his return to the ring last week, besting Emmanuel Tagoe by a 12-round unanimous decision. Unfortunately for the 23-year-old Ryan, his performance failed to impress the boxing public.
In contrast, Pitbull Cruz (23-2-1, 16 KOs) has put in back-to-back outstanding fights against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Gamboa (30-5, 18 KOs).
Cruz looked like minted gold last Saturday night, dropping the former IBF/WBA featherweight champion Gamboa three times before putting him away in the fifth with a brutal combination to the head.
#Garciacruz at crypto stadium or better known as staples center in La would be fire 🔥 I’m ready for it in July! The Fans you guys can make this happen! Just push it and we will have our hands flying!
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) April 17, 2022
Although the 40-year-old Gamboa wanted to continue fighting, the referee had seen enough and opted to halt the fight.
To be sure, Gamboa was no more hurt than he’d been in rounds one, two, three, and four, but the fact that he’d been stunned by heavy shots from Pitbull Cruz in each of those rounds was enough for the referee to stop the massacre.
“I’m here to defeat and dethrone anyone that gets in my way while putting on a show for the fans,” said Pitbull Cruz.
“I wanted to send a clear message to the division that I’m here to be a world champion no matter what.”
Well, if Ryan & De La Hoya turned out to be just blowing smoke, feigning interest in a fight that they have no intention of taking, Pitbull Cruz will still have many options available to him.
One excellent plan B for Pitbull Cruz is Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela, who destroyed Francisco Vargas by a first-round knockout last Saturday night.
“I absolutely understand he wants to continue his momentum and build his career,” said Ryan on social media about Pitbull Cruz.
“But if he thinks I need him, he’s delusional or his team. I’ve made great money and I’m extremely happy, this is what a lot of fans wanted!
“I don’t know what to say, Isaac Cruz other [than] I’m ready now, we have a big fight at hand. I guess all bark no bite.”
