By Jake Tiernan: Eddie Hearn is on cloud nine over his signing of 2020 Cuban Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, saying that he’s ready to defeat top lightweights Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson right out the gate.
Hearn points out that the 27-year-old Cruz, who had an amateur record of 140-9 in Cuba, easily beat the highly touted Keyshawn Davis in the finals of the 2020 Olympics. The score was 4-1. Keyshawn has power and would give Cruz issues in the pro ranks.
Cruz signed a long-term contract with Matchroom Boxing last Saturday night, and he’ll be making his pro debut in July in a ten-rounder against an opponent still to be determined.
Hearn plans on moving Cruz quickly, which makes sense because he’ll soon be turning 28 in August, and his game is built on hand speed rather than power. Fighters like Cruz, that excel based on hand speed have problems when they hit their 30s and slow down. Cruz doesn’t possess the power to fall back on when they start losing their speed.
Hearn is carried away with gushing over Cruz, as he’s not that kind of talent. If you watch many of Cruz’s fights in the amateurs, he used a fencing style to win and showed little power.
Many of the rounds he was given in competition were seemingly close, with his opponents landing many shots on him, but the judges gave slight edges.
In this writer’s view, two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalists Robeisy Ramirez, Shakur Stevenson, and Vasily Lomachenko looked much more talented as amateurs than Andy Cruz. There’s no comparison. Two-time Olympic Cuban gold medalist Julio César La Cruz is a more capable fighter than Andy Cruz and more suited to the pro game with his power.
Granted, cruiserweight Julio Cesar La Cruz fights in a different division and has gotten a late start in his pro career at 33, but he looks like a better fighter than Andy Cruz.
“This may be our greatest-ever signing. In over thirty years of watching boxing, he’s one of the most special fighters I have ever seen,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing Social.
“Won gold at the Olympics, three-time world amateur champion, and beat Keyshawn Davis in the finals [of the 2020 Olympics], and Keyshawn is a great fighter.
As much as I rate Shakur Stevenson, Devin Haney, and all those guys, I wouldn’t even back against Andy Cruz beating them NOW.
“The love from that signing is probably bigger than any love that we ever had from the boxing community. So we’ve got to build Andy Cruz. I’ve got to go out and speak with the same kind of passion I’ve just spoke to about how good this kid is.
“Not in his second fight, but it will be ten rounds in his first fight,” said Hearn when asked if the 27-year-old Andy Cruz will fight for a world title in his first contest for Matchroom Boxing.
“He will be debuting in July, and this kid, I love as a promoter having a fighter that you can just stick in fights and know I got the edge in this fight, and that’s Andy Cruz. He’s unbelievable Andy Cruz. He’s a massive signing for us,” said Hearn.
