Lamont Roach is getting another title shot, this time against WBC interim light welterweight champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz in the headliner on December 6th on PPC on Prime Video PPV in San Antonio, Texas.
Roach’s Risky Jump to 140
The WBA super featherweight champion, Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs), is moving up to 140 after failing to capture the WBA lightweight title in his last fight against Gervonta Davis on March 1st.
‘Pitbull Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs) is defending his WBC interim light welterweight belt that he won last summer, beating Omar Salcido by a 10-round unanimous decision on July 19th.
Pitbull’s Preferred Opponents Ignored
Cruz wanted the big fish for this fight, mentioning these fighters:
- Teofimo Lopez
- Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero
- Alberto Puello
- Ryan Garcia
- Angel Fierro
PBC is taking a gamble by using Roach as ‘Pitbull’ Cruz’s opponent on a PPV card, which is expected to have a price tag of $75. Ideally, they needed a bigger name to attract mainstream fans, but they went with Roach instead.
The Pay-Per-View Gamble
If the event bombs on PPV, which could happen, they’ll know they picked the wrong guy. There’s nothing wrong with Roach, but he’s not well known with casual fans, and he’s a pure boxer.
In other words, lacks an entertaining style for PPV. Tank Davis vs. Roach brought in 260,000 buys on PPC on Prime Video PPV earlier this year on March 1. While those are solid numbers, they don’t match the 1.2 million buys Gervonta’s fight with Ryan Garcia generated on April 22, 2023.
Mike Coppinger broke the news of ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs. Lamont Roach on December 6th. He says Cruz’s manager, Sean Gibbons, confirmed the fight with Roach for that date.
Can Roach Repeat Rayo’s Blueprint?
Cruz, 27, has a two-fight winning streak, having beaten Omar Salcido and Angiel Fierro. He looked good against those brawlers, who were perfect for his style. Where he had problems was last year, when he lost to Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela by a 12-round split decision on August 3, 2024.
Rayo boxed and moved all night, frustrating ‘Pitbull’. Roach will use the same approach, which is why it’s a bit strange that Cruz’s management agreed to this fight.