Edwin de los Santos returns from a two-year layoff against Eliot Chavez in lightweight action tonight.
Back in the ring after two years
135-lb contender De Los Santos has not seen action since his fight against Shakur Stevenson in 2023. Tonight, his fight against Cruz is about getting active again.
De Los Santos was supposed to return to the ring against former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis last year in Norfolk. The fight was canceled when Keyshawn came in overweight at the weigh-in the day before the fight.
The punching power of De Los Santos makes him a threat to anyone in the 135-lb division. He knocked out former light welterweight champion Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela in 2022. In Edwin’s fight with Shakur, he made himself look timid and moved incessantly in endless circles around the ring.
That night Shakur didn’t want to get involved
The crowd at the T-Mobile Arena that night booed their heads off, enraged by the run Stevenson made. It wasn’t De Los Santos’ fault. He literally chased him around the ring. There was nothing he could do because Shakur didn’t want to get involved.
After the fight, Stevenson blamed his performance on essentially fighting “one handed” due to a left hand injury. His promoter at the time, Bob Arum, said he would also be doubtful with a left shoulder injury.
De Los Santos wasn’t given credit for putting the fear into Shakur when he nailed him hard with a left to the head early in the first round. That’s when the fight turned into a Tom and Jerry contest.
Tonight’s event will be shown at Coliseo de Boxeo in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. De Los Santos-Cruz’s card will be streamed live on the La Casaca Boxing Club’s YouTube channel below. The 26-year-old De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KOs) and Cruz (12-7-1, 7 KOs) will meet in an eight-round fight.
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Last updated on 13/12/2025
