It’s been a bumpy road to San Antonio for Saturday’s PBC on Prime Video card headlined by Pitbull vs Roach. So it wasn’t unexpected to hit one last bump at Friday’s weigh-in.
After the original co-main event, a dandy middleweight unification fight between Janibek Alimkhanuly and Erislandy Lara was nixed by Janibek’s dirty drug test, the equally strong matchup between two-division world champion Stephen Fulton and WBC Super Featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster was elevated to the co-main spot.
And then, Fulton apparently had too much pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving dinner and weighed in two pounds over the 130-pound limit at 132 pounds. Because of course he did. The normal process would fall to Foster to decide whether to carry on with the fight and agree on a fine to Fulton. He would not be eligible to win Foster’s title, which was the whole point.
But instead, the WBC has now made the vacant WBC interim 135-pound title available. Fulton ends up being rewarded for missing the weight limit. But what happens now to the fight the WBC ordered this week at its convention for the same belt between Jadier Herrera and Ricardo Núñez? Ay carumba. If you’ve lost your enthusiasm for this matchup, we don’t blame you
How Pitbull vs Roach Jr. Came Together
But back to our regularly scheduled preview of what is still a decent card with a solid main event.
Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. have Tank Davis to thank (or blame) for their matchup at the Front Bank Center. In addition to the Prime Video option, we recommend watching the card on PPV.com, which offers features such as a live chat with former champion Chris Algieri and his podcast partner, Dan Canobbio.
After Davis narrowly avoided Roach Jr. sticking him with what should have been his first loss in their showdown on March 1, there was talk of a rematch. Davis wanted none of it, scheduling a fight with Jake Paul he eventually sabotaged by his criminal behavior.
With Roach Jr. of Washington, DC (25-1-2, 10 KOs) looking for another opportunity, here comes the immensely popular Cruz of Mexico City (28-3-1, 18 KOs), an all-action fighter and former 140-pound world champion with a huge Mexican fan base looking for his own path back to a title opportunity.
Cruz also crossed paths with Davis, giving him the toughest outing on his resume in 2021 in a narrow loss on the scorecards until Roach Jr. gave Davis hell. The two are the only opponents to go the distance with Davis.
Voila – it’s Cruz vs Roach Jr. in a showdown for the interim WBC Lightweight belt. The more this fight was discussed in the lead-up to Saturday, the less there was a need to oversell it.
Roach Jr. says Cruz was always on his radar. “We weren’t surprised when it came together. I’m trying to be one of the best fighters in the world. So going up and beating a champion like Cruz is a testament to what I can do in the ring.”
Considering their shared history with Davis, their fan-friendly styles, and the potential for the winner to advance in the division, including a potential rematch with Davis should he decide not to retire with his fat bank account after the Jake Paul fight, it’s the next best outcome and a creative solution for everyone involved with real stakes involved.
Cruz became a world champion in March 2024 with an eighth-round TKO win over Rolly Romero to claim the WBA title. Cruz recently bounced back from a loss to Jose Valenzuela by out-slugging countryman Angel Fierro in February, then getting a decision over Omar Salcido in July.
Roach earned his WBA Super Featherweight championship in November 2023 with a decision win over Hector Luis Garcia and defended his belt in June 2024 with an eighth round TKO win over Feargal McCrory of Ireland. Roach should have become a two-division champion with a 135-pound title in the win stolen from him against Davis.
Roach Jr. could have gotten mad about it, stewed over it and no one would begrudge him. Instead, he says it’s water under the bridge, and he’s moving on, promising an old school banger to reinforce the belief he deserved his win in March.
“When I took that bump in the road, I looked at myself outside of my body and asked if this is where I wanted to be,” said Roach Jr. “I counted my chickens before they hatched. I definitely thought I had it in the bag in that first world title fight. That’s something that I never wanted to feel ever again in my life.”
Roach Jr. says it’s now all about showing his skills in the ring Saturday. “I pride myself on how I came along in this professional journey. We all worked hard and we all got up to this stage.
“Everybody knows I like to throw. There’s gonna be some moments where the cameras better be ready. He’s throwing missiles in there and I’m gonna throw them back. We know what kind of fight Pitbull will bring, but we’ll be ready for everything.”
Who Will Win Pitbull vs Roach?
Roach Jr. and Cruz both insist the other will be sorry for taking the fight, they have acknowledged each other as elite competitors with respect for what’s going to come at them.
Cruz says Roach Jr. is in trouble. “It’s gonna be a great night, we’re gonna make sure of it. I know what my fans expect of me, and I’ve done everything I could in training camp to deliver on Saturday night.
“I hope he doesn’t run. It’s all about the fans and they want to see us go toe-to-toe. I’ll be ready to go for as long as he’s able to withstand the pressure. It’s all about being focused, smart and winning round after round.”
The parties, including their father/trainers, agree it will be a terrific show with legacy on the line. How might it play out? Former world champion Chris Algieri offers his thoughts in the PPV.com Film Room.
We agree with Algieri. It’s a matter of which man’s game plan takes over the fight. Cruz is an all-action fighter who thrives on the inside with volume punching. He bangs away until he wins. It works with all but the craftiest opponents. That’s why Cruz has lost to Tank Davis and Jose Valenzuela.
Roach Jr. needs to impose his boxing skills on Cruz. He’s moving up in weight against a big puncher, and he needs to avoid becoming a human heavy bag for Cruz. He must throw and move, fight at distance where necessary, and handle Cruz much the way he handled Tank Davis, as a skilled boxer-puncher. If he does, he’ll validate the performance against Davis in addition to beating Cruz.
Cruz wants to win, but he won’t sacrifice his fan-friendly style to do it. It’s why he has some of boxing’s most devoted fans.
When we asked him about it, Cruz said, “The fans are everything to me. If you make the time investment to watch me fight, it’s incredibly valuable to me. Not every fighter gets it and I know that it helps me to hear them during the fight.” The fans will be on Cruz’s side Saturday in Texas. He can’t let them drive him to take risks against Roach Jr. Will he play it smart?
Prediction: Roach Jr. will win a decision and elevate his status as a serious contender and talent at either 135 pounds or 140 pounds. It’s a nice position to be in.
Undercard: Lara vs Gonzalez and Ramos Jr. vs Mosley Jr.
Fortunately for WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara of Cuba (31-3-3, 19 KOs), hard-hitting challenger Johan Gonzalez of Venezuela (36-4, 32 KOs) was training in Las Vegas on standby and eagerly accepted his opportunity to save Lara’s title defense and face him.
Gonzalez said he’s in Texas to win. “This is absolutely the biggest fight of my career and I’m ready to take the world title. That’s my mission on Saturday night.”
Gonzalez scored an upset win against Jarrett Hurd in March, and promises to repeat his performance.
For Lara, who’s turned himself into a power puncher in the later stages of his career at age 42, he says he’s going to do what he always does whoever is in front of him.
“I’m gonna do what I always do, show up and show out. The message to the rest of the division is that the champion is still here.”
Gonzalez will make it a fun fight and give it his all, but it’s unlikely he can do to the far more skilled Lara what he did to a faded Hurd.
Opening the PPV at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT are Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. of Casa Grande, Arizona (23-1, 19 KOs) and Shane Mosley Jr. of Las Vegas (22-4, 12 KOs), who vie for the interim WBC Middleweight title.
Ramos Jr. says he and his father/trainer Jesus Sr. used to watch Mosley’s father as fans. “To be able to fight his son and win my first world title in front of a legend will mean a lot.
“We started out in the garage, and now we’re here. We can make our dreams a reality,” saying he believes the experience fighting Mosley Jr. will help elevate his own game.
Mosley Jr. has delivered solid wins as the challenger in his last few fights and feels he’s only now hitting his prime at age 34.
“I’m gonna be that guy. I have everything it takes to be the first guy to decisively beat Jesus Ramos Jr. My father has always influenced me and now I feel like it’s my moment to make him proud and prove him right.”
Before the Bell: Martin vs Barthelemy
In the early action available to all Prime Video subscribers, Frank “The Ghost” Martin returns to the ring against former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy in a 10-round super lightweight showdown. Undefeated young Mexican star Isaac “La Bestia” Lucero faces hard-hitting Roberto Valenzuela Jr. in a 10-round all-Mexican super welterweight showdown. Unbeaten super featherweight Luis “The Twist” Nunez faces Argentinian contender Hector Sosa in the 10-round opening bout.