In the recent co-main event of the Riyadh Season card, which featured Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov in the main event, WBA super-lightweight world champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) suffered a defeat in a 12-round split decision against Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs) on Saturday, August 3rd at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Cruz, who was victorious in his previous fight against Rolando “Rolly” Romero, faced a strong Valenzuela, coming off a knockout win over Chris Colbert. At the beginning of the match, Cruz showed his aggressive style, but Valenzuela quickly adjusted and controlled the fight with his counterpunching abilities.
After a tough 12-round competition, two judges favored Valenzuela with scores of 116-112, awarding him the WBA belt and ending Cruz’s championship reign. The outcome raised doubts about the potential for a rematch between Cruz and Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who had previously defeated Cruz despite dealing with a hand injury.
Davis, recognized for his boxing prowess and knockout ability, appeared unenthusiastic about a rematch with Cruz, pointing to his dominant showing in their previous fight despite his hand injury. While Cruz has shown interest in a rematch, Davis seems more focused on pursuing greater challenges within the division.
Valenzuela’s triumph over Cruz not only secured him his first world title but also indicated his promise in the super-lightweight category. This victory emphasized the unlikely possibility of a Davis-Cruz rematch, underlining the one-sided nature of their past encounter.
