Andy Cruz is poetry in motion

[that Indian]

He is one of those fighters that I can watch all day. Smooth, rhythmic, entertaining. I don't see what Keyshawn has for him. The only problem is that he's 29 and needs to get going. Even Shakur was impressed watching him fight.

He seems to be adapting well to the pros with team Ennis. How high can Andy Cruz go?

 

[borntoloseNOT]

He is one of those fighters that I can watch all day. Smooth, rhythmic, entertaining. I don't see what Keyshawn has for him. The only problem is that he's 29 and needs to get going. Even Shakur was impressed watching him fight.

He seems to be adapting well to the pros with team Ennis. How high can Andy Cruz go?

I’ll take Keyshawn by stoppage if they fight, I think he’s been developing into the better pro.

 

[Misery Signals]

Andy has a ton of talent but I see very little killer instinct. That was only the second time I saw him fight though.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Andy Cruz was one of the more decorated amateurs of late but I'm a bit skeptical of modern Cuban fighters nowadays. They've yet to live up to their full potential or come anywhere near it. They haven't come close to having the type of success that the Eastern Europeans have had in the pros. Maybe guys like Morrell & Cruz will be the ones to buck the trend?

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

I’ll take Keyshawn by stoppage if they fight, I think he’s been developing into the better pro.

I'd take Davis over Cruz right now too because he's further along as a pro. Different version of the sport and all but Cruz is like 4-0 against him in the amateurs. He beat him at the 2020 Olympics (which was held in 2021), the Worlds & the Pan Ams. It could be that he just has his number. Who knows.

 

[that Indian]

Andy has a ton of talent but I see very little killer instinct. That was only the second time I saw him fight though.

I don't know, maybe I'm missing something...

But I did see him try to KO Salcido a few times. He doesn't have killer power (like Tank) and tries to stay defensively responsible because he does not want to eat shots in order to put people away (like Shawn Porter, for example). So he's always responsible even when he is hunting for the KO, but he never forces it. I can understand why some people don't find that appealing but I find that very entertaining.

To me, he is what Shakur was supposed to be.

 

[that Indian]

Andy Cruz was one of the more decorated amateurs of late but I'm a bit skeptical of modern Cuban fighters nowadays. They've yet to live up to their full potential or come anywhere near it. They haven't come close to having the type of success that the Eastern Europeans have had in the pros. Maybe guys like Morrell & Cruz will be the ones to buck the trend?

The Eastern Euros are having their moment, no doubt. And Cubans do not have the institutions to support pro boxing. The boxers that make it do so in spite of the barriers.

But with that being said, we did get Rigo, Lara, Gamboa, Casamayor, Ugas, Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Barthelmy in recent memory

 

[MMALOPEZ]

I'd take Davis over Cruz right now too because he's further along as a pro. Different version of the sport and all but Cruz is like 4-0 against him in the amateurs. He beat him at the 2020 Olympics (which was held in 2021), the Worlds & the Pan Ams. It could be that he just has his number. Who knows.

I agree … Davis at this very moment is a better professional than Cruz

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

The Eastern Euros are having their moment, no doubt. And Cubans do not have the institutions to support pro boxing. The boxers that make it do so in spite of the barriers.

But with that being said, we did get Rigo, Lara, Gamboa, Casamayor, Ugas, Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Barthelmy in recent memory

True. The expectations placed upon the Cubans though are higher than any other nation because they've excelled for so long in the amateurs. According to one of the boxing trainers on this site (who is Cuban-American himself) a number of them have defected only to become lazy professionals as far as their work ethic is concerned. You never hear this about the Eastern Euros (well, apart from Kovalev who was drinking in training). Those guys work their asses off.

 

[that Indian]

True. The expectations placed upon the Cubans though are higher than any other nation because they've excelled for so long in the amateurs. According to one of the boxing trainers on this site (who is Cuban-American himself) a number of them have defected only to become lazy professionals as far as their work ethic is concerned. You never hear this about the Eastern Euros (well, apart from Kovalev who was drinking in training). Those guys work their asses off.

And that's a good point, and something I've never understood--why do we hear such disparate stories about the work ethic of Cuban fighters compared with others. Is it true that they work less hard? And if so, why?

I mean, many Cuban boxers gave up their lives and families to be in the US. Eastern European fighters also make tremendous sacrifices (although nothing compares to what the Cubans have to go through) but they don't seem to lose their discipline. I remember reading that Vassiliy Jirov had a notoriously difficult training regimen. Is it a cultural thing?

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

And that's a good point, and something I've never understood--why do we hear such disparate stories about the work ethic of Cuban fighters compared with others. Is it true that they work less hard? And if so, why?

I mean, many Cuban boxers gave up their lives and families to be in the US. Eastern European fighters also make tremendous sacrifices (although nothing compares to what the Cubans have to go through) but they don't seem to lose their discipline. I remember reading that Vassiliy Jirov had a notoriously difficult training regimen. Is it a cultural thing?

Ultimately work ethic would depend on the individual fighter of course but allegedly after defecting they just don't train as hard as they should. That's their general reputation today. If I recall what the aforementioned trainer said it's because they suddenly get a real taste of freedom outside of Cuba and they tend to become complacent, lackadaisical, if not outright lazy. It's understandable to a degree because back home they're treated as government property. Historically Cuban Olympic medalists weren't even allowed to talk to the media afterwards.

 

[that Indian]

Ultimately work ethic would depend on the individual fighter of course but allegedly after defecting they just don't train as hard as they should. That's their general reputation today. If I recall what the aforementioned trainer said it's because they suddenly get a real taste of freedom outside of Cuba and they tend to become complacent, lackadaisical, if not outright lazy. It's understandable to a degree because back home they're treated as government property. Historically Cuban Olympic medalists weren't even allowed to talk to the media afterwards.

I'm still not sure this is just anecdotal or an actual phenomenon of defecting Cuban pros losing their work ethic here. But if it is then this 'acquired-comfort' hypothesis has some face validity but doesn't really explain why fighters from Uzbekistan, Dagestan etc. don't lose their drive when acquiring Western comforts and liberties. It is also possible that the trauma of defecting and leaving families behind can have a deleterious impact on their investment in boxing.

Also, there is another sleeper Osleys Iglesias, whom I will be keeping an eye on going forward. I think he washes Mbilli right now.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

I'm still not sure this is just anecdotal or an actual phenomenon of defecting Cuban pros losing their work ethic here. But if it is then this 'acquired-comfort' hypothesis has some face validity but doesn't really explain why fighters from Uzbekistan, Dagestan etc. don't lose their drive when acquiring Western comforts and liberties. It is also possible that the trauma of defecting and leaving families behind can have a deleterious impact on their investment in boxing.

Also, there is another sleeper Osleys Iglesias, whom I will be keeping an eye on going forward. I think he washes Mbilli right now.

Sinister would know more about this than I would. He's the trainer I was alluding to earlier. Some of what's been reported on has also come directly from these Cuban fighters' own managers at one point in time. Gary Hyde used to manage Rigondeaux and he mentioned that they love to blow their money. Gamboa went out and bought a bentley right away, tons of gold and bling to wear, and didn't manage his money well. Rigondeaux likes the night life and would go to strip clubs and gamble on top of making terrible career decisions like rejecting multi-million dollar fight offers that Hyde made him early on in his pro career. He surrounded himself with the wrong people and shitty promotional outfits like Caribe that couldn't land him the type of fights he needed to raise his profile internationally. Defecting probably does have a deleterious effect on their lives. It's an extremely difficult decision to make as you're leaving everything behind like your home, family & friends. I'm familiar with Osleys Iglesias. He does look promising.

 

[stevenandrew]

I'm still not sure this is just anecdotal or an actual phenomenon of defecting Cuban pros losing their work ethic here. But if it is then this 'acquired-comfort' hypothesis has some face validity but doesn't really explain why fighters from Uzbekistan, Dagestan etc. don't lose their drive when acquiring Western comforts and liberties. It is also possible that the trauma of defecting and leaving families behind can have a deleterious impact on their investment in boxing.

Also, there is another sleeper Osleys Iglesias, whom I will be keeping an eye on going forward. I think he washes Mbilli right now. free video chat

Andy Cruz has the potential to go very far. His elite amateur pedigree, smooth footwork, and sharp boxing IQ make him a serious problem in the lightweight division. Training with Team Ennis is helping him transition well to the pro-style, adding more aggression while maintaining his slick movement. The biggest concern is his age—at 29, he doesn’t have time to waste. He’ll need to move quickly up the ranks, but his skill set suggests he can compete with top contenders soon. If he stays active and gets the right fights, a title shot within the next couple of years is realistic.