Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) was too much for an overmatched WBA light welterweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero (15-2, 13 KOs), dismantling the the belt-holder by an eighth round technical knockout in his maiden title defense on Saturday night in their co-feature bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The highly motivated 25-year-old Cruz came into the fight with a bone to pick with Rolly, after being trash-talked incessantly during the promotion of their clash. Cruz put massive pressure on Rolly from the first round, chasing him around the ring, and hitting him whenever he could catch up.
Rolly used a lot of holding, illegal straight and throwing very few shots. It was looked like he was just trying to survive. The punches that Rolly did land didn’t budge Cruz, who eat them without showing any effect.
In the fifth round, Rolly was docked a point for holding, and he was lucky it was only one point because he was getting away with a lot of stuff arms to keep the shorter 5’4′ Cruz from getting close.
Cruz hurt Rolly in the seventh round after pummeling him with nonstop shots. Rolly’s legs were tired from running, and he could no longer evade Cruz with movement. That was the beginning of the end.
In between rounds, Rolly looked done, and it was clear from the beginning of the eighth that he hadn’t fully recovered from the punishment he’d taken in the seventh. Cruz pounded away at Rolly in the eighth, and finally the referee stepped in and stopped the massacre.
“I’m very happy and humbled to win this title for my family and for Mexico,” said Cruz. “I was prepared for this. I wasn’t here to just fight. I was here to terminate him…I did my talking right here in the ring. And I did this not just for me, but for everybody that is here at T-Mobile Arena. There’s going to be a Mexican champ at 140 pounds for a long time.”