Isaac Cruz vs Angel Fierro Preview Feb. 1st, 2025
Former WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz of Mexico City tries to get back on the winning track after losing his title in his first defence to fellow countryman Jose Valenzuela via a split decision in August. Cruz meets another fellow Mexican this Saturday, Feb. 1st in a 10-round junior welterweight contest against Angel Fierro. The fight from Las Vegas, Nevada is on the undercard of the David Benavidez vs David Morrell battle and can be seen live on pay-per-view in most nations. Cruz won the title last March when he stopped Rolando Romero in the eighth round. In his previous fight he edged Giovanni Cabrera by 12-round split decision to hold onto his WBC Silver Lightweight title and win the vacant WBO Latino lightweight Belt. Fierro last saw action in November when he stopped Eleazar Valenzuela Carrillo in the fifth round.
Cruz vs Fierro Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Angel Fierro +475
- Isaac Cruz -750
My Pick
The 26-year-old Cruz made a name for himself on the world stage in December, 2021 when he dropped an exciting 12-round unanimous decision to WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis. Since then he bounced back with a fifth-round stoppage of Yuriorkis Gamboa for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Belt and stopped Eduardo Ramirez in the second round before his close split decision win over Giovanni Cabrera and then taking the belt from Romero before losing it to Valenzuela. This brings Cruz’s current record to 26-3-1 with 18 Ko’s and he’s boxed 160 rounds since making his pro debut in 2015.
Cruz is known for having pretty good power in his fists as 69.2 per cent of his wins have been by stoppage. He isn’t really regarded as a one-punch KO artist though and has gone the distance in seven of his last 11 fights. Cruz measures 5-feet-4-inches tall with a 63-inch wingspan. He moved up in weight to take on Romero and this is his third fight in the 140 lb junior welterweight division.
His his toughest opponents to date have been Valenzuela, Davis, Romero and Gamboa as well as an aging Francisco Vargas and former world champ Diego Magdaleno, who he stopped in just 53 seconds in 2020. Cruz’s first pro defeat came at the hands of Luis Miguel Montano via an eight-round unanimous decision in February, 2016 while his lone draw was a six-round affair with Jose Capilla in 2017. Cruz has an aggressive non-stop punching style which makes him very dangerous as well as fan friendly.
Fierro is also 26 years old and makes the ring walk with a 23-2-2 record with 18 Ko’s and has fought just 121 rounds since making his pro debut in 2015 as a teenager. He stands 5-feet-7-inches tall with a 70-inch reach which means he has a huge size advantage on the former champion as he possesses a three-inch edge in height and a seven-inch reach advantage. He also has more power than Cruz as 78.3 per cent of his victories have been by stoppage, including nine of his past 10.
The first defeat suffered by Fierro came at the hands of Alex martin by way of an eight-round majority decision in 2020. His second loss was to Alfredo Santiago by 10-round unanimous decision last June in a shot at the vacant WBO NABO Junior Welterweight Title. Fierro had previously won the vacant WBO NABO Lightweight Belt in 2021 with a sixth-round KO over Alberto Machado and defended it four times.
Fierro’s two draws were a six-round affair with Jorge Luis Zapoteco in 2017 and a 10-round contest with Juan Carlos Burgos in 2022. He also has wins over Alexis Reyes, Cristian Bielma, Jeremy Cuevas and Brayan Zamarripa Rodriguez. His record may be a little deceiving as just 11 of his 27 opponents entered the ring with a winning record and he beat just seven of them.
Prediction…
Fierro and Cruz both carry plenty of power and could change the course of a fight with just one punch and Fierro also has a significant height and reach advantage. As usual, Cruz will need to work his way inside to lets his hands go. This fight could go either way if Fierro can effectively use his size advantage and nail Cruz with power shots while trying to work his way inside. I’ll give Cruz the edge though as he’s faced much stiffer opposition as a pro and he has a solid chin.
I think Cruz’s experience is the deciding factor.
Play: Cruz -750 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Angel Fierro betting • Isaac Cruz betting