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Rolando “Rolly“ Romero entered his bout with Isaac “Pitbull“ Cruz on Saturday night with many viewing him as the weakest world champion in boxing. Cruz capitalized on Romero's technical flaws, securing a TKO victory in Round 8 during the undercard of Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora to claim the WBA junior welterweight championship. It didn't take long for Cruz to exploit Romero's defense, landing a powerful left hook to the temple in the opening round that had Romero stumbling on unsteady legs. Remarkably, Romero managed to survive the round without being knocked down. Cruz skillfully navigated his height disadvantage, slipping inside Romero's wide punches to deliver powerful shots to both the head and body. Whenever Romero managed to connect, he was met with hard counters from Cruz, who consistently closed the distance. Romero tried to stifle Cruz's relentless pressure by circling the ring and holding when Cruz got too close. This tactic cost Romero in Round 5, leading to a point deduction after repeated warnings for holding. Romero was severely hurt again in the seventh round but managed to survive and stay on his feet. However, it was evident that he was losing control of the fight, unable to hurt Cruz or keep him at bay. Cruz's onslaught continued into the eighth round. After a check by the ringside physician, who indicated the fight was nearing its end, Cruz poured on the attack. A big flurry left Romero's legs wobbly again, prompting the referee to stop the fight at the 0:56 mark of Round 8. “I'm very happy and humbled to win this title for my family and for Mexico,“ Cruz said after his victory. “I was prepared for this. I wasn't here just to fight. I was here to terminate did my talking right here in the ring. And I did this not just for me, but for everybody that is here at T-Mobile Arena. There's going to be a Mexican champ at 140 pounds for a long time.“ Cruz has been seeking a rematch with Gervonta “Tank“ Davis after losing a competitive fight in December 2021. With this victory, which marks Cruz's first world championship, that dream rematch is closer than ever. Romero was making the first defense of his title, which he won controversially in May 2023 after being knocked down by Ismael Barroso before a rapid referee stoppage in Round 9. This fight came after Romero was knocked out by Gervonta Davis in their highly-anticipated 2022 bout. “I am not here just to be a dangerous fighter,“ Cruz said. “I now have a title that is backing me up. So anybody that is available, I'll be ready.“
