Cruz vs. Valenzuela: Stats for Isaac’s First Title Defense
On August 3 in Los Angeles, USA, the undercard of the Crawford vs. Madrimov showdown will feature a bout between Isaac Cruz and Jose Valenzuela for the WBA super lightweight title. Cruz claimed the title five months ago.
Ready To Fight presents an analysis of Isaac's first title defense, which he earned a few months back.
Isaac Cruz
Country: Mexico
Age: 26
Weight Class: Super Lightweight (up to 63.5 kg)
Height: 163 cm
Reach: 160 cm
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 26 wins (18 by knockout), 2 losses
KO Percentage: 69.23%
Total Career Rounds: 148
Recent Fights:
- TKO win in the 8th round against Rolando Romero
- Split Decision (SD) win in 12 rounds against Giovanni Cabrera
- KO win in the 2nd round against Eduardo Ramirez
- TKO win in the 5th round against Yuriorkis Gamboa
- Unanimous Decision (UD) win in 12 rounds against Gervonta Davis
Total Rounds in Recent Fights: 39
Average Rounds in Recent Fights: 7.8
Longest and Shortest Recent Fights: Longest - 12 rounds / Shortest - 2 rounds (KO win)
KO Percentage in Recent Fights: 60%
Combined Record of Opponents at Time of Fight: 128 wins, 7 losses, 3 draws
Best Opponent Record: Gervonta Davis (25-0 at the time of the fight)
Worst Opponent Record: Eduardo Ramirez (27-2-3 at the time of the fight)
Jose Valenzuela
Country: USA
Age: 25
Weight Class: Super Lightweight (up to 63.5 kg)
Height: 178 cm
Reach: 178 cm
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 13 wins (9 by knockout), 2 losses
KO Percentage: 69.23%
Total Career Rounds: 61
Recent Fights:
- KO win in the 6th round against Chris Colbert
- UD loss in 12 rounds against Chris Colbert
- KO loss in the 3rd round against Edwin De Los Santos
- KO win in the 1st round against Francisco Vargas
- TKO win in the 4th round against Austin Dulay
Total Rounds in Recent Fights: 26
Average Rounds in Recent Fights: 5.2
Longest and Shortest Recent Fights: Longest - 12 rounds / Shortest - 1 round (KO win)
KO Percentage in Recent Fights: 60%
Combined Record of Opponents at Time of Fight: 72 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws
Best Opponent Record: Chris Colbert (17-1 at the time of the fight)
Worst Opponent Record: Francisco Vargas (27-3-2 at the time of the fight)
Fight Background
One of the brightest Mexican stars of recent years faces the author of one of the most spectacular knockouts of 2023.
Isaac Cruz's move to super lightweight seemed risky. Even in the lightweight division, he wasn't the biggest guy – he's even smaller than Gervonta Davis. Yet, so far, things have gone extremely well.
In March 2024, Isaac faced Rolando Romero and dismantled him. Pressure and heavy hooks posed questions for Rolando when Cruz attacked. With a tucked chin, tight guard, and body movement, Cruz neutralized Romero's attacks when he tried to counter.
As a result, Cruz won by TKO in the 8th round, becoming the WBA super lightweight champion.
Valenzuela, in 2023, fought the same opponent twice. In March, he faced Chris Colbert and lost. After ten rounds, all three judges scored the fight in favor of Colbert. In December, they met again, and Valenzuela delivered one of the year's best knockouts, flooring Colbert in the 6th round.
Valenzuela is the fifth-ranked WBA contender. Ahead of him are Prograis, Catterall, Hector Bravo, and Kenneth Sims. The top two will face each other, but the champion's opponent still ended up being Valenzuela, ranked just behind Bravo and Sims. The first Riyad Season tournament in the USA needed big headlines, and with all due respect to the higher-ranked guys, Cruz vs. Valenzuela is a match worth watching and an attractive undercard.
Key Facts Before the Fight
- Valenzuela is enormous compared to Cruz. He's 15 cm taller (178 cm vs. 163 cm) and has an 18 cm reach advantage (178 cm vs. 160 cm). Valenzuela is even bigger than Rolando Romero, who stands 173 cm with an equal reach.
- However, Valenzuela isn't the biggest opponent in Cruz's career. In 2023, Isaac fought Giovanni Cabrera, who stands 175 cm tall with a 180 cm reach. Cabrera lost the fight by split decision.
- Incidentally, Cruz isn't the smallest opponent in Valenzuela's career. Early on, Jose fought Hugo Rodriguez (160 cm tall with a 168 cm reach, winning by UD), Christian Velez (160 cm tall, winning by KO), and Eric Manriquez (163 cm tall, winning by UD).
Certainly, these guys are nowhere near Isaac Cruz's boxing level, who once gave Gervonta Davis a tough challenge.