Isaac Cruz wins against battle worn Francisco Vargas
Former WBC Junior Lightweight champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (27-2-2) is fighting for his career when he takes on highly ranked lightweight “Pitbull” Isaac Cruz Gonzalez (21-1-1, 15ko).
Vargas is a 36-year old former Mexican champion on his last leg and looking to pull off a surprising victory over a top-ranked opponent. After two devastating stoppages at the hands of former champion Miguel Berchelt, El Bandido, now competing at lightweight, could be fighting in his last hoorah.
Cruz is on the verge of possibly fighting for a world championship, and defeating a former world champion goes a long way. His devastating first-round knockout over two-time title contender Diego Magdaleno caught the attention of the boxing community. He is currently ranked by three of the major sanctioning bodies.
TESTING THE OLDER VETERAN
The younger power-punching Cruz was loading up on every punch, looking to hit the battle-worn former champion with power shots. Vargas used the jab to keep the fight at mid-range while refusing to get into a firefight. However, Cruz started getting rough by tackling Vargas to the canvas.
Vargas would land the uppercut on the inside, but the younger fighter started landing those hard body shots and two hard counter right and left hooks that stunned the former world champion. Pitbull was living up to his name, fighting in the chest of the former champion while landing hard right hooks to the body and double hooks upstairs. However, El Bandido started using that championship experience to land the jab and hard right hooks to the pit of the stomach of the younger fighter.
THE FORMER CHAMPION CAME TO FIGHT
Vargas, trying to fight behind the jab, scored the uppercut while coming forward and landing some body punches. But Cruz’s body attack was beginning to slow down the former champion. El Bandido showed he still had a beard by taking some hard left hooks and then returned fire with a good overhand right.
Pitbull stayed on the body attack, landing hard body shots followed up by the left hook on the chin of the former champion. Vargas was trying to fight back with the jab but kept getting hit with the left hook.
Things got wild in the tenth round after Pitbull landed a hard body shot. He came forward with his head while throwing a left hook and clashed heads, causing a cut on the right eye of Vargas.
It was a bad cut that should have stopped the fight but the doctor allowed it to continue. Pitbull came out like a mad man, throwing everything, eventually landing two hooks that sent Vargas to the canvas. The former champion got up, surviving the onslaught as the final bell sounded.
The judges scored it 97-92, 99-90, and 100-89 for the younger fighter, Cruz. This was a tough fight for Vargas, and looking at the lightweight division, at the age of 36, he may need to consider retirement.
By: Garrisson Bland
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