By Charles Brun: Promoter Eddie Hearn says he wants to match his recent signee 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz against Keyshawn Davis in his professional debut in July.
Hearn is confident that the 27-year-old Cuban Andy Cruz would immediately defeat the Top Rank-promoted 24-year-old Keyshawn (8-0, 6 KOs). In the amateur ranks, Cruz beat the younger Keyhawn four times, but they were boring fights involving a lot of movement and single hit & run shots from Andy.
It could be a mistake for Cruz to be rushed into a fight with a guy with Keyshawn’s power because his style is more suited to the pro ranks than the Cuban fighter. If Cruz were the great talent that Hearn thinks he is, he would have been snatched up by Top Rank.
Cruz, a light puncher, fights more like Devin Haney, but he uses more movement and doesn’t clinch nonstop the way he does. With Cruz, he throws a single shot and then retreats to avoid getting hit in return. Cruz’s style is more like a fencer than a boxer.
Andy’s game is designed to score points in the amateur, and he doesn’t have a professional style and likely never will. Hearn would have been better off signing Robeisy Ramirez when he came out of Cuba because he was a much better talent than Cruz.
There’s no comparison. Robeisy is the guy that beat Shakur Stevenson in the 2016 Olympics and had him in tears. Robeisy is much more entertaining to watch than Cruz.
Keyshawn Davis responds to Eddie Hearn saying he wants to make a fight between him and Andy Cruz next as Cruz’s pro debut…
[🎥 @KeyshawnDavis8]https://t.co/okJ5QMc5eW
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 11, 2023
“Andy Cruz is an unbelievable signing. It looks like Andy Cruz will debut on that Alycia Baumgardner card in July,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV. “So it’s very, very exciting times.
“What I was saying was I would honestly put him in with anyone at 135 pounds,” Hearn continued about Andy Cruz. “Obviously, it would be very difficult to get done, but I would like him to debut against Keyshawn Davis.”
Hearn will get Andy Cruz beaten if he matches him too tough by putting him in with Keyshawn, Shakur Stevenson, or Gervonta Davis. Those guys are better fighters.
This writer remembers watching Andy Cruz fight this guy from Kazakstan in the amateur ranks. The Kazakhstan fighter was punching holes through Cruz, and him in total distress, running like mad with a look of terror on his face. Cruz was out of his league in that fight.
That was when this writer realized that Cruz wasn’t suited for the pro game because he was getting worked over and had nothing to keep his opponent off of him.
“I know he [Cruz] won four nil [in the 2020 Olympic finals], but Keyshawn is a beautiful fighter,” said Hearn. “Maybe that’s one for two or three fights time, but that fight is a brilliant contest, and I would take it now.
“One million percent,” said Hearn when asked if he would make the fight with Keyshawn as Andy Cruz’s pro debut opponent.
“I rate Keyshawn Davis. He’s a great talent, but Andy Cruz is different. This kid is brilliant,” said Hearn.
