Ryan Garcia confirmed on Friday that he will fight Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in May in New York's Times Square. Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez will also be on the card.
Garcia (24-1, 20 KO) said Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KO) is an opponent he has wanted to fight for a long time but has never had the opportunity until now. Cruz will be brought in to make adjustments to prepare Ryan for his rematch against Devin Haney in October in Riyadh.
The Big Apple bout
Cruz is a former WBA light welterweight champion. He lost his title in his last fight to Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela by 12-round split decision on August 3.
“Yes, in May. We'll fight there. It'll be good. Another big fight. I'm ready to do it,” Ryan Garcia said. Ko is a sports artist About him fighting Isaac “Pitbull” Crews in May in New York. “Pitbull is still a great fighter. He may have lost once (correction: 3 times), but the fans love him. He's a big f****.
There were a lot of people in London, and they were all meeting with Turk. It's nuts. “Times Square, yeah,” Ryan said about where he plans to fight in May. “Pitbull and I would fight on numerous occasions. It never went down.
“I feel like this is a fight that the fans have wanted for a long time until (Pitbull Cruz) lost (to Jose 'Rayo' Valenzuela on August 3). I don't think it should make any difference. He's still an explosive fighter. He boxed Rayo,” Garcia said. He's a great fighter, so you can't take anything away from him either.”
For your information, Pitbull Cruz lost three times as a professional to these fighters:
– Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela
-Gervonta Davis
– Luis Montana Alvarez
It doesn't matter that Cruz is coming off a loss to Rayo last August because casual boxing fans won't know about it, and hardcore fans won't mind. They just want to see Ryan Garcia play against anyone. For most fans, Ryan can resist a cardboard prop, and they'll be happy.
“We have to find a replacement if he doesn't win, but I'm sure he will,” Ryan said of the Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro fight on Feb. 1 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “When I win, I'll fight him (Devin Haney) again, and I'll beat him again. And then, I can finally put an end to it and move on with my career. Maybe fight Teofimo. That's how it's going to go.”
There's a good chance Pitbull Cruz will lose to Angel Fierro next month in the David Benavidez vs. David Murrell match. Fierro is a top player, and he catches Cruz after losing to Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela.
If Coors gets beaten, Ryan's team will need to act quickly to find someone in a hurry to fight on the May card. One good thing Garcia has to offer is Turki Al-Sheikh. It is likely that a top-tier fighter will be offered the opportunity to fight Ryan, and they will jump at the opportunity.
