By Matt Lieberman: 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz will make his debut this tonight against former two-time world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a 10-round bout for the IBF International lightweight title on DAZN from the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan.
The talented Cuban star Cruz recently signed a multi-year deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promotional company, and they plan on moving the 28-year-old quickly to a world title.
Cruz must be moved fast
If Hearn can get Cruz a title shot without three or four fights, it gives him his best chance of capturing a belt before he ages out or eats his way out of the division.
The 35-year-old Burgos has lost five out of his last seven fights and is coming off a lopsided eight-round unanimous decision loss to Keyshawn Davis in December.
Burgos, a 19-year pro, has been around forever and has fought these notable fighters during his long career: Roman Martin, Mikey Garcia, and Hozumi Hasegawa.
Cruz-Burgos undercard:
- Alycia Baumgardner vs. Christina Linardatou
- Jermaine Franklin vs. Issac Munoz
- Ja’Rico O’Quinn vs. Carlos Mujica
In an ideal world, Hearn will get Cruz a title shot before he turns 30, considering a ripe age for the lightweight division. Their days are numbered once fighters hit their 30s in the 135-lb division. Younger fighters dominate that weight class.
Given his extensive amateur background of 140 fights, Cruz doesn’t need to be moved at a glacial pace like ordinary fighters. Cruz’s lack of punching power will make it difficult for him if he moves up to the light welterweight division as he ages.
Weight management important
Cruz must stay at 135 for as long as possible and control his eating. Some former Cuban stars start eating well after they leave Cuba and turn pro, making it difficult for them to make weight in their ideal weight classes.
If this happens to Cruz, his career is not going to pan out like Hearn & Matchroom are hoping it will.
He’s ready to hit the ground running and fight for a world title; hence, Hearn is pushing hard for a fight against the highly ranked unbeaten 135-lb contender Keyshawn Davis. That’s not going to happen, unfortunately. Davis, who lost twice to Cruz in the amateurs, isn’t going to fight him.
Perhaps the only way Cruz gets a title shot in the next two years is if he works his way into a mandatory spot at 135 to force a fight.
To get moved that quickly up the ranks, Cruz is probably going to need to fight as often as possible, perhaps as much as four times a year, if not more.
Adding power is a must
Cruz will need to adapt his amateur style to the pro game to sit down on his punches a little more, as he’s not shown himself to be a big puncher in the past.
For Cruz to excel in the professional ranks against the top 135-pounders, he’ll need more power on his shots because the lightweight division is loaded with fighters that can both box & punch.
You won’t do well in the lightweight landscapes if you’re a one-trick pony, as Cruz has been in the amateur ranks. Shakur Stevenson is an example of a former amateur star that was noted for throwing light, point-scoring shots.
In the pro ranks, he’s adapted his style and is throwing with more power, and he’s scoring knockouts and impressing the fans.
It’s unclear whether Cruz will ever develop power because he’s not shown any signs of being able to do that, and he’s not exactly young at 28.
Of course, Devin Haney has done well in the pros despite having no power, but he’s been matched carefully against exclusively non-punchers. When Haney fought guys with power, they were old & smaller than him, like Jorge Linares & Yuriorkis Gamboa.
