2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz (4-0, 2 KOs) is a week away from facing Mexican slugger Omar Salcido (20-1, 14 KOs) in a WBC lightweight title eliminator on January 25, live on DAZN from The Cosmopolitan of Las. Vegas, Chelsea Ballroom, Las Vegas.
Cruz-Salcido will fight on Diego Pacheco’s undercard against Steve Nelson, and there’s a good chance they’ll steal the show. Also on the card is undefeated light welterweight Ernesto Mercado (16-0, 15 KOI) fighting former two-division world champion Jose ‘Sniper’ Pedraza.
WBC title eliminator
If Andy Cruz is victorious against Salcido, the talented Cuban will be able to challenge the WBC lightweight champion. Shakur Stevenson for his title this year. Shakur has bigger plans for this year. He hopes to beat Floyd Schofield on Feb. 22, then defend against No. 1 William Zepeda if he can’t lure Vasily Lomachenko into the ring.
To top it all off, fighting Gervonta Davis at the end of the year. More likely, Shakur will have to settle for someone else, but probably not Cruz unless the World Boxing Council gives him a choice.
” My son “
Cruz would also like to face Keyshawn Davis if he can win the WBO lightweight title next month in his fight against champion Denys Berinchyk on February 14 at Madison Square Garden. Andy knows Keyshawn well, whom he calls “my son” having fought him four times as an amateur, each time beating him in one-sided fights.
Cruz’s victory was so dominant in the 2020 Olympic final that Keyshawn appeared to lose his mind, celebrating his defeat after the fight, seemingly obvious that he had lost the fight. Since Cruz turned professional in 2023, he has called Keyshawn several times, but to no avail.
The Norfolk, Virginia native no longer wants to participate in the Cruz fight, and it’s understandable why. He’s going to destroy his career, and he can’t allow that to happen in the pros.
It’s a whole different story when you lose in the professional game because it’s permanent and difficult to come back from unless someone like Turki Al-Sheikh is interested in you and is willing to let you do it. lose 24 hours a day and continue to have opportunities for big salaries.
“Yes, it’s for the (WBC) mandatory,” Andy Cruz told YSM Sports Media when asked if his fight against Omar Salcido was an eliminator for the WBC lightweight title on January 25 to determine the next mandatory challenger to champion Shakur Stevenson.
“When that time comes, I will approach things differently,” Cruz said of the Shakur fight. “It’s a division with a lot of talent. There are a lot of talented fighters. I’m just focused on myself.
💎 @Andydiamondcruz ready to shine again… @DAZNBoxing #CruzSalcido | January 25 | #PachecoNelson pic.twitter.com/aD0UcmWhmq
– Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) January 17, 2025
