Lamont Roach was in fine form after his fight with WBC interim light welterweight champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, muddying the water about the results of their 12-round majority draw last Saturday night. Instead of admitting that he’d not done enough to win, Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) made excuses, blaming Cruz’s roughhouse tactics.
The crowd at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, was not happy with the results, many of them booing, believing that ‘Pitbull. Cruz had won. The scores were 113-113, 113-113, and 115-111. Robert Segal had it for Cruz 8-4.
Excuses Pour In About Low Blows
Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) repeatedly complained about Cruz’s low blows and holding during the fight. And he demanded a rematch, but on an “even playing field,” meaning he wants a referee that will control ‘Pitbull’ Cruz’s tactics.
What was clear was that Roach didn’t do enough to win, as he was hurt several times during the contest and dropped in round three. In the second half, when Lamont came on, he didn’t appear to do nearly enough to make up for the many rounds that Cruz had gotten the better of him from 1-6.
Was Cruz Robbed?
In a controversial move, referee James Green penalized Cruz for a low blow in round seven. No warning had been given previously. That right there made it look like ‘Pitbull’ was facing two people in the ring.
When ‘Pitbull’ came on late in the 11th and 12th to land the better shots, it appeared to be enough for him to get the victory.
Roach Wants Rematch
“The best thing is to move forward with an immediate rematch. I would say with somehwat a level playing field,” said Lamont Roach at the post-fight press conference, implying that he didn’t get a fair shake with the judges in his fight against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz last Saturday night.
“I don’t know why they thought the referee was on my side when I got hit low a lot, and he was holding in every exchange. I really wish it were an even playing field, that’s all.”
If I were Roach, I’d think twice about fighting Cruz again. The contest showed that he’s not better than him, and a rematch could go badly for Roach. What we learned from the fight is that Roach is good enough to fight on the same level as good fighters, but he lacks the elite-level talent to put himself above.
B-Level Ceiling Fully Exposed
Basically, Roach is a B-level fighter and isn’t good enough to stand out from flawed fighters like ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
Zepeda, Mason, Andy Cruz? He Loses
Just imagine what would happen if Roach went up against the likes of WBA 140-lb champion Richardson Hitchins, or lightweights Andy Cruz, Abdullah Mason, Floyd Schofield, or Shakur Stevenson. From what I saw tonight, Roach would lose to all of them, including these three:
- O’Shaquie Foster
- Sam Noakes
- William Zepeda
