Isaac Cruz Stops Nestor Bravo in Sixth After Bout Marred by Fouls

Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz retained his WBC interim super-lightweight title with a sixth-round knockout of Nestor Bravo at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

Cruz ended an untidy fight, marked by repeated holding, wrestling and fouls, with a left hook to the jaw. Bravo dropped to a seated position and was counted out by referee Thomas Taylor at 1:30 of the round.

The Mexico City fighter had established control midway through the opener, when a left hook to the ear hurt Bravo. The Puerto Rican tried to clinch but fell forward as they became tangled near the ropes, prompting Taylor to rule a knockdown.

Bravo continued to hold whenever Cruz closed the distance and was docked a point for excessive clinching in the second round. Taylor then warned him that he was close to being disqualified after Bravo picked Cruz up and dropped him to the canvas.

There were further disruptions in the third, when Bravo landed low blows, one of which Taylor ruled accidental. Cruz still found openings for the heavier punches, including an overhand right that drove Bravo towards the ropes.

Taylor deducted another point from Bravo 18 seconds into the fourth after he flung Cruz to the canvas. Again, the challenger was warned about a possible disqualification, while Cruz returned to his pressure and landed hooks and right hands to the head and body.

Cruz remained in command through the fifth before producing the decisive punch in the following round. He stepped forward behind a clean left hook that left Bravo unable to beat the count.

All three judges had Cruz ahead 50-42 entering the sixth, with the opening-round knockdown and Bravo’s two point deductions contributing to the wide margins. Cruz improved to 29-3-2 with 19 knockouts, while Bravo fell to 24-2 with 17 stoppages and suffered the first knockout defeat of his 11-year professional career.

“Listen, the performance speaks for itself,” Cruz told DAZN’s Chris Mannix. “The left hand, I was prepared for anything he brought to the table and my plan worked.”

The victory was Cruz’s first appearance since his 12-round majority draw with Lamont Roach on December 6 in San Antonio. Bravo had entered the contest after stopping Pedro Campa in the second round in January, but could not reproduce that attacking performance against Cruz.

Cruz called out WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia after the fight, although his team must also weigh up his path to the full WBC super-lightweight title. Champion Dalton Smith is due to face former title-holder Alberto Puello on October 24.

Blancas and Marcial win inside distance

Daniel Blancas extended his unbeaten record to 16-0 by stopping Sergio Jimenez in the seventh round of the co-main event. Blancas repeatedly attacked the body before referee Ray Corona intervened at 1:38, with Jimenez under sustained pressure.

Marco Verde recovered from a third-round knockdown to stop Guillermo Hernandez in the fifth, while Filipino Olympian Eumir Marcial knocked out Omar Ulises Huerta with a right hook in the third.

Diego Luna defeated Renny Viamonte Mastrapa by unanimous decision, Lazaro Francisco Lorenzana edged Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez by majority decision and Robert Guerrero Jnr stopped Shawn Rall in the opening round.