Isaac Cruz and
Lamont Roach needed a little more time to prove who the better fighter was.
The pair got it on at the weekend at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, with Cruz's WBC interim 140-pound strap on the line.
The arena was packed to the brim and amongst the crowd was former unified welterweight champion,
Errol Spence Jr.
From the moment the bell rang, Cruz and Roach slugged it out and each had their moments. Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KOs) scored a knockdown in the third, but he was also deducted a point in the seventh for a kidney punch. Be that as it may, once the final seconds ticked off the clock, both men had their hands raised as the fight was
scored a majority draw. Judge Nathan Palmer and Cory A Santos handed in scorecards of 113-113, overruling Chris Tellez, who had it 115-111 in favor of Cruz.
Considering how close the rounds were, Spence didn’t mind their bout ending in a draw. Nevertheless, from his point of view, Cruz did just enough to eke it out.
“It was a good fight,” Spence told several reporters. “Cruz lived up to his nickname being Pitbull, coming forward and throwing a lot of punches. Lamont was trying to stay focused. I had it kind of close, but I did think Cruz edged it a little bit.”
For Roach, it’s been a frustrating 2025. His majority decision draw against Cruz was his second of the year, which he will end winless. On March 1 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, he also
settled for a controversial stalemate with Gervonta Davis.
As for Cruz, he also shared the ring with Davis in December 2021. Although Cruz gave him all he could handle, it was Davis who walked out of Staples Center with a close win.
Neither Cruz nor Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) was satisfied with the final result of their matchup. During the post-fight presser, the two
agreed to an immediate rematch. The politics of boxing can sometimes come in the way of such decisions, but for Spence, he hopes their sequel will happen as soon as possible.
“Hopefully they’ll have another fight and fight again,” Spence continued. “It was a good fight.”