Lamont Roach was in fine form after his fight with WBC interim light welterweight champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, muddy the water on the results of their 12-round majority draw last Saturday night. Instead of admitting he didn’t do enough to win, Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) made excuses and blamed Cruz’s roughhouse tactics.
The crowd at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, was not happy with the results, many of them captivateand believe that ‘Pitbull. Cruz won. The scores were 113-113, 113-113 and 115-111. Robert Segal had it for Cruz 8-4.
Apologies pour in about low blows
Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs) repeatedly complained about Cruz’s low punches and holding during the fight. And he demanded a rematch, but on a “level playing field”, meaning he wants a referee to control ‘Pitbull’ Cruz’s tactics.
What was clear was that Roach had not done enough to win as he was hurt several times during the match and fell in round three. In the second half, when Lamont came on, he didn’t seem to do nearly enough to make up for the many rounds that Cruz outscored him 1-6.
Was Cruz robbed?
In a controversial move, referee James Green penalized Cruz for a low blow in round seven. No warning was given before. That right there made it look like ‘Pitbull’ was facing two people in the ring.
When ‘Pitbull’ landed the best shots late in the 11th and 12th, it looked like it was enough for him to take the win.
Roach Wants Rematch
“The best thing is to move forward with an immediate rematch. I would say with somewhat of an even playing field,” Lamont Roach said at the post-fight press conferenceimplying that he didn’t get a fair shake with the judges in his fight against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz last Saturday night.
“I don’t know why they thought the ref was on my side when I got hit really low, and he kept in every exchange. I really wish it was a level playing field, that’s all.”
If I were Roach, I would think twice about fighting Cruz again. The match showed that he is no better than he is, and a rematch could go badly for Roach. What we learned from the fight is that Roach is good enough to fight on the same level as good fighters, but he lacks the elite level talent to put himself over the top.
B-level ceiling fully exposed
Basically, Roach is a B-level fighter and isn’t good enough to stand out from flawed fighters like ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
Zepeda, Mason, Andy Cruz? He loses
Just imagine what would happen if Roach went up against the likes of WBA 140-lb champion Richardson Hitchins, or lightweights Andy Cruz, Abdullah Mason, Floyd Schofield or Shakur Stevenson. From what I saw tonight, Roach would lose to everyone, including these three:
- O’Shaquie Foster
- Sam Noakes
- William Zepeda
Last updated on 12/07/2025
