By Dan Ambrose: Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz says there’s no margin for error in his twelve-round co-feature fight against Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs) this Saturday night on Showtime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) is fighting Cabrera in a WBA lightweight title eliminator. The only guy that the 25-year-old Cruz wants is Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, and it arguably doesn’t matters if he held a title or not. Cruz wants to fight him again, regardless.
Where Cruz has disappointed boxing fans by showing no interest in fights against undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, and Ryan Garcia.
That’s just a small list of fighters that Cruz could have fought but opted not to so that he could continue on his path to a well-paying rematch with Tank Davis.
The 5’9″ Giovanni Cabrera will have a five-inch height advantage over the 5’4″ Pitbull Cruz, and he’s going to be looking to use it by staying on the outside, trying to prevent the stocky fighter from getting in close to land his bombs.
You got to believe that Cruz wanted an easier opponent than Cabrera, a fringe-level guy like George Kambosos Jr, but there was likely pressure put on him to fight a good opponent, given that he’s fighting in the co-feature spot.
If Cruz loses to Cabrera, he can say goodbye to his vision of making life-changing money in a rematch with Tank Davis.
Isaac Cruz ready for Cabrera
Ray Flores: “Isaac, yesterday, the fans went ballistic for you; they were showering you, wanting to take photos. You couldn’t go one or two steps. Tell us about the reception you got from fans here in Vegas,” said Flores to Premier Boxing Champions during today’s media workout.
Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz: “It was so cool and so nice the way you treated me. I have no words to tell you how thankful I am to all of you here for all the love.”
Flores: “I was fortunate to be around you all these years since you wiped out Diego Magdaleno back in October of 2020 on the undercard of Gervonta Davis when he beat Leo Santa Cruz.
“But I remember when you came here for your promoter’s fight Manny Pacquiao when he fought Yordenis Ugas in his final pro fight, and you were walking around the MGM Grand, and no one was bothering you, and you were just a fan. Now, everywhere you go, you’re hounded. How has life changed in that regard?”
Isaac Cruz: “It’s been truly a fantastic change, a big transformation for me in my life, but boxing-wise, I’m fully prepared and ready to give the fans what they deserve. A great show on Saturday night.”
Cruz to fight smart
Flores: “Okay, I asked you yesterday, but you’ve had a day to process it. The face-off yesterday was a bit heated. I had to get in the middle of you two. I didn’t want to, but it was what duty called upon. He said, and he’s pretty amped up, and what did you sense from that intense face-off?”
Pitbull Cruz: “Look, the face-off is the face-off. We’re fully focused, we’re doing our work, and we’re ready to fight, and on Saturday night, that’s going to be the truly intense stuff.”
Flores: “It’s no secret that Giovanni Cabrera has an unorthodox style. How are you combatting that?”
Pitbull Cruz: “I’m just going to have to be smart and not get into his game and let me dictate the rhythm.”
Flores: “How much are you craving that second world title shot [against Gevonta ‘Tank’ Davis]?”
Pitbull Cruz: “It’s my biggest wish, the greatest opportunity. There’s no margin for error. I’ve got to give it my all.”
Flores: “I look at your age. You’re only 25 years old, but do you feel like an old veteran in there because you’ve been around for three years? You’ve had some big fights. Obviously, fighting Gervonta Davis on a couple of weeks’ notice in December 2021. With the battle you had with him, I’m sure you learned quite a bit.”
Pitbull Cruz: “The big fights, the big moments I’ve gone through, have definitely helped me mature, and the quality opponents I’ve had have made me better ever since I fought them, and I look forward to continuing doing that.”
Flores: “Obviously, being from Mexico, you’re proud of your heritage. That amazing country with its boxing tradition. What would you like to tell the fight fans?”
Pitbull Cruz: “Thank you for the love; thank you for everything. I’m going to be representing you on Saturday night, giving you my all going for the win.”
