'Pitbull' Cruz highlights Spence-Crawford PPV undercard lineup
Two title eliminators and a heavyweight bout to precede main event
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
Premier Boxing Champions and Showtime on Friday unveiled the three-fight televised undercard for the Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford undisputed welterweight championship fight on July 29 (Showtime PPV and PPV.com, $84.99, 8 p.m. ET) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — and it includes two world title eliminators and a heavyweight fight.
In the co-feature, which Fight Freaks Unite reported earlier this month, lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs), 25, of Mexico, will face Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs), 28, of Chicago, in an eliminator for both the WBC and WBA belts.
Since a debatable decision loss to secondary lightweight titlist Gervonta Davis in December 2021, Cruz has won both of his fights, a fifth-round knockout of Yuriorkis Gamboa and a second-round demolition of Eduardo Ramirez.
“It has always been a dream of mine to fight in Las Vegas, where so many Mexican legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez and Erik Morales have fought before,” Cruz said. “Now it’s my opportunity and I will not disappoint the fans. As always, I’m coming for the knockout.”
Cabrera is coming off a dominating 10-round decision over Gabriel Flores Jr. last July but has since been released by Top Rank.
“It hasn’t been an easy road to this point, and I know that I have to beat ‘Pitbull’ Cruz to continue my path to the world title,” Cabrera said. “This is a hard fight, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I want to earn my status as world champion.”
Southpaw Jesus Ramos Jr. (20-0, 16 KOs), 22, will face Sergio Garcia (34-2, 14 KOs), 30, of Spain, in a WBC junior middleweight eliminator.
Ramos is one of boxing’s best up-and-comers. He is coming off a dominating seventh-round knockout of then-unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer on the David Benavidez-Caleb Plant Showtime PPV in March. He also owns a lopsided 10-round decision win over reigning WBC interim titlist Brian Mendoza.
“I’m coming to give the crowd a great show on the biggest card of the year,” Ramos said. “I’m very happy and excited to be back on another huge card. Sergio Garcia is a tough opponent and I know he’s going to bring the best out in me. That’s just gonna make for even more entertainment for the fans.”
Garcia has lost two of his last three, decisions to former interim titlist Sebastian Fundora and former world titlist Tony Harrison. But he is coming off a decision win over Ricardo Sebastian Cabana in Spain in April.
“I’m very motivated by this new opportunity to fight in the U.S.,” Garcia said. “Jesus has a great future ahead of him, but I also have a lot of experience in important fights and I think that will lead me to the victory. It will be a hard fight but I’m ready to be at my very best.”
In the opener, heavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan (4-0, 4 KOs), 25, an Armenia native fighting out of Los Angeles, will face Viktor Faust (11-1, 7 KOs), 31, of Ukraine, in a 10-rounder.
A note to subscribers
I sincerely appreciate your readership. If you’re reading, it means you love boxing just like I do. If you’ve been reading you also know the quality and quantity of what I produce. It’s one-stop shopping. Read the newsletters and there is no need to search multiple websites or click a multitude of links to get the latest news, opinion and detailed fight schedule. Everything you need is in one spot and delivered directly to your inbox (or via phone alert if you download for free the superb Substack app). You don’t have to hunt for the news; it comes to you.
I believe that is worth something, so while I will continue providing stories, notes and the schedule for free, I encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription for the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 23 years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.
To upgrade your subscription please go here:
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Cruz photo: Ryan Hafey/PBC
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
I think it’s a good undercard on paper the don king undercards are a thing of the past because of the money the main event boxers get nearly all the money besides don king paid his boxers peanuts that’s how he had great undercards
Say what you want about Don King. But his undercards were untouchable. Paying Fans got typically competitive and entertaining fights. That felt like Sneak Previews to greatness. This the typical mismatch Showcases that took down HBO BAD from Al Jamón.