Garcia Predicts a Quick Knockout Over Cruz

American Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) praised the new WBA super lightweight champion (up to 63.5 kg) Isaac Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) for his victory in the championship fight against Rolando Romero (15-2, 13 KOs). However, he is confident that he would quickly defeat Cruz.

"Cruz's style is my favorite. I can't count how many times I've sparred with someone like that, fought someone like that, and trained in the gym with someone like that. He's even smaller than Oscar Duarte. Duarte fought similarly to him but was probably bigger, slower, and not as aggressive. Still, very similar styles. They can deny it as much as they want, but Duarte and Cruz have very similar styles. I'd just be boxing a smaller and, maybe, slightly better version than Duarte. But I can handle him because I knocked out Duarte. I feel I can knock out Pitbull in less than five rounds.

Rollie made a mistake. He retreated too much in the fight. He doesn't know how to stop momentum. He can't do anything. He's still a novice. It's not even about technique. He doesn't know what to do in certain situations. Rollie is still a novice in boxing. He doesn't know how to handle a fighter when under pressure," Garcia said.

Cruz secured an early victory over Romero in the eighth round – the referee stopped the fight following a series of heavy hits by the Mexican. Ryan Garcia will get a title opportunity against WBC champion Devin Haney on April 20 in New York.