Andy Cruz shines with seventh-round KO of Antonio Moran

LOS ANGELES — Amid the shadows of BMO Stadium, Bozy Ennis could be repeatedly heard saying, “There you go, he don’t like that!” as his Cuban protégé, Andy Cruz, stayed in the pocket and pumped left jabs into Mexican veteran Antonio Moran.

Cruz opened the pay-per-view portion of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov WBA junior middleweight title fight on Saturday afternoon aiming to show the boxing world that he will be ready for a world title in 2025.

Cruz (4-0, 2 knockouts) took a nice stride toward that goal by stopping Moran at 2:59 of the seventh round, taking some punishment for the first time in his young career along the way. It marked the third time Moran (30-7-1, 21 KOs) has been stopped.

“I’m really happy. Mission accomplished,” Cruz said. “The first aim was to win the fight. To win the fight within the distance was a bonus. I said before the fight it would not be easy. I managed to show I am at this level. I can go higher.”

For the first time in his young pro career, Cruz was hit hard when Moran landed a left on his right cheek in the first round. But the muscular Cuban lightweight found his rhythm and began backing up Moran.

Each time Moran threw a lazy jab, Cruz made him pay with a stiff counter right to the head.

With 30 seconds left in the fourth, Moran stunned Cruz with a left hook to the head, wobbling him. It is the most trouble Cruz has been in as a pro. Cruz wound up lasting the round and was greeted in the corner by Ennis, who spoke about backing up and allowing Moran to come to him.

“It was a tough moment, but you don’t (get in) the boxing industry without expecting to get hit,” Cruz said.

In the fifth, Cruz plowed Moran with a right to the body that caused the Mexican some trouble.

Moran, with growing confidence, came at Cruz in the sixth. Moran was there to be hit and Cruz did not disappoint. But Moran kept coming. In the last minute of the sixth, Moran connected with some body shots.

Between the sixth and seventh, Ennis implored Cruz to let his hands go, stressing that if he was able to do that, he could stop Moran.

In the seventh, Cruz found another gear. With blood dripping from his nostrils, Cruz pressured Moran. With 10 seconds left in the round, Cruz landed a perfect overhand right on Moran’s head, jolting him backward. Cruz followed his wounded opponent into the ropes and landed another crushing right.

Moran was out on his feet. Initially, referee Gerard White was in the process of giving Moran a count, when Moran went stumbling across the ring and White waved it over at 2:59 of the seventh round of the scheduled 10-round fight.

CombuBox stats revealed Cruz landed 40% of his total punches (125 (42)/316) and 45% of his power punches (73 (29)/164). According to CompuBox, Moran seemed to hurt Cruz with a left hook with 25 seconds left in the fourth round, but Cruz held a 49-28 power punches landed advantage through five rounds.

“My goal is a world championship by this time next year,” Cruz told The Ring before the fight. “I know I have to take tough steps to get there.”

One of them came on Saturday under a relentless sun against a tough veteran.

 

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JSantoliquito

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