Author: Sean Crose
In a thrilling matchup in Los Angeles, the WBA junior welterweight title was up for grabs as current champion Isaac Cruz took on Jose Valenzuela in a scheduled 12-round battle. This fight was featured as the co-main event on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov pay-per-view card. Right from the start, Cruz aggressively went after Valenzuela, who effectively used his southpaw jab. The intensity of the bout was high in the early rounds.
The fast-paced action carried over to the second round, creating excitement about how the fight would unfold as the pace slowed down. The third round maintained the same high level of intensity. In the fourth round, both fighters stayed in close proximity, making scoring challenging. The fifth round was a close one to call, with Cruz landing powerful shots but Valenzuela’s jab proving effective in keeping him at a distance. Round six featured both fighters trading thrilling blows.
Seventh round saw both contenders having their shining moments. In the eighth round, an accidental low blow by Cruz briefly halted the action. Valenzuela appeared to have the upper hand in this round. Moving forward, Valenzuela continued to hold onto his lead in the tenth round. Cruz adjusted his approach in the eleventh round, landing significant strikes on Valenzuela towards the end of the round. Cruz dominated the final round, the twelfth, with his impactful shots.
Following a split decision, the victory was ultimately awarded to Valenzuela by the judges.
