2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz has a lot of pressure to perform in his debut with Matchroom this tonight against the tough Juan Carlos Burgos in a 10-round fight at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.
With the way promoter Eddie Hean has been hyping up the former Cuban amateur start Cruz, it’s going to be next to impossible for him to live up to it.
Cruz is a great boxer but lacks power and is someone that can’t be counted on to win by a spectacular highlight reel knockout that Heaarn is likely hoping for. If Hearn wanted a puncher, there are other amateur fighters from the 2020 Olympics he could have signed.
The 35-year-old Burgos (35-7-3, 21 KOs) is at the tail end of his 19-year professional career and has lost five out of his last seven fights.
For those who remember Burgos during his prime, he was an excellent fighter, who gave a lot of the top guys in his day problems.
At this stage of his career, Burgos has lost speed but is still durable. In his last fight, he went the distance in losing a wide eight-round unanimous decision to Keyshawn Davis last December.
On the card, female undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (14-1 7 KOs) will defend against Christina Linardatou 14-2, 6 KOs) in a rematch.
Cruz has a tough test
“It’s a great main event. A good card as well, and also, firstly, Alycia Baumgardner is trying to avenge his defeat against Christina Linardatou, who is a very good fighter. I think, style-wise, it’s going to be absolute fireworks,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about his card this Saturday night, headlined by Andy Cruz vs. Juan Carlos Burgos on DAZN.
“I think Alycia is one of the biggest stars in the sport. Andy Cruz making his professional debut. I was kind of thinking, ‘Do I hype up some of these guys too much and put too much pressure on them?’ But then, when you get it right, and they produce something magical like the momentum is unbelievable,” said Hearn.
Is Andy Cruiz another hype job? Maybe. If you look at his fight with Keyshawn Davis in the Olympics, he was out-punched the entire contest, and looked weak in comparison.
If Cruz is going to succeed in the pro ranks, he must be moved quickly due to his advanced age and kept away from punchers. He’s a knock-off version of Devin Haney, a non-puncher, who will need to win his fights by going the distance and outboxing everybody.
“I just want Andy Cruz to get out there and do his thing. He’s got a very tough opponent in [Juan Carlos] Burgos,” said Hearn. “It’s his first pro fight; it’s a 10-round fight. So I think it’s very dangerous for him, but he’s an unbelievable talent, one of the best amateur fighters I’ve ever seen.
“Jermaine Franklin’s in a really good fight against Isaac Munoz. I think it’s a tough, tough Mexican, and I’m looking forward to Jermaine going on a little run now. He’s had it a bit tough, and he come over to England and boxed Dillian Whyte in a really good fight. Then he went and fought Anthony Joshua, and I think he’s a very, very good heavyweight, and I think he’ll show that tomorrow night.
“Keyshawn is outspoken. I wind him up. I went on his live the other day, and I was like teasing him about it. Keyshawn can’t be Andy Cruz, right? That’s just facts. He couldn’t do it in the amateurs, and you can say, ‘Oh, it’s different in the pros.'”
Hearn won’t be able to wind up everybody in the same way he’s doing with Keyshawn to taunt them about how Cruz is better.
He’s going to have to show that he can exist at the pro level, and he might not be able to. He lost his last fight in the amateur ranks against a guy that is nothing special.
Will Andy Cruz pan out?
“Watch the amateur fights, and you will realize he cannot beat Andy Cruz but Keyshawn’s a really good fighter,” said Hearn. “It’s just that Andy Cruz is a level above him, and that’s a fact. So when he says, ‘He’s not on my level.’ I’m looking at Keyshawn, and I’d make that fight next.”
Is Cruz better than Keyshawn in the pro ranks? We’ll find out. With the kind of shots that Keyshawn was bouncing off Cruz’s chin, if he lands those same shots over a 10-12 round fight, he’s got a good chance of knocking him out.
“Keyshawn is not Tank, he’s not Devin Haney, and he’s not Shakur Stevenson,” said Hearn. “No, because Andy Cruz beat him how many times? Three or four? Whatever it was, it’s not disrespect.
“This is how good Andy Cruz is. If I was capping for some clout, I’d say, ‘Let’s fight Devin Haney.’ That’s not what we’re saying. We’ll fight a kid who’s 8-0, who he beat three times in amateurs, but Top Rank would never ever let Keyshawn Davis fight Andy Cruz.
“I think there is the element of an amateur great transitioning to the pro. Daniyar Yeleussinov was a good example, who won Olympic gold and didn’t quite transition in the way that maybe we hoped.
“I think Andy’s a very intelligent fighter. I think he’s got a great trainer in Boza Ennis, and what I’m hearing in the gym is he’s looking really good.
“Burgos is going to be tough to get out there. He’s very durable, he’s very tough he had a draw with Angel Fierro, and went the distance with Keyshawn Davis.
“It’s going to be difficult to stop him, but if he does, I think honestly think this kid could beat them all but again, that’s me hyping a young fighter. Let’s put him under the bright lights on Saturday and find out,” said Hearn about Cruz.
