Cuban Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz has announced plans to move down to the super featherweight division following his recent victory over Abraham Montoya. The 130-pound contender intends to take one adjustment fight before targeting world titleholders in the weight class.
Following his third-round knockout win against Abraham Montoya on 18 July, Cruz confirmed his ambition to compete against the premier fighters at 130 pounds. His target list includes Emanuel Navarrete, O’Shaquie Foster, Raymond Ford and Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez.
Speaking to SerEbro EnlosDeportes, Cruz expressed complete faith in his physical conditioning for the lower division.
Cruz said: ““I have the physical ability to do it,””
However, his management team prefers to evaluate his performance at super featherweight before making immediate title matches.
Cruz explained: ““Maybe, from a strategic standpoint, we’ll have one fight first to see how my body responds. After that, I’ll be ready for the biggest challenges in the division.””
The 2020 Olympic champion attributes his growing confidence to significant changes made following his only professional defeat against IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla. Cruz relocated to Philadelphia on a full-time basis, enabling daily work with his training staff. He now holds a professional record of seven wins and one loss, with four knockouts.
Under his coaches’ guidance, Cruz has adapted his style from the amateur ranks. While amateur scoring rewards high-volume accuracy, the professional ranks require heavy punches and wear-and-tear tactics. His cornermen have trained him to sit down on his punches and invest heavily in body work to weaken opponents over twelve rounds.
Those refinements were on clear display during his swift third-round victory over Montoya last weekend.
Moving down to 130 pounds puts Cruz directly in line for world championship opportunities across multiple sanctioning bodies. Should his physical frame handle the initial weight cut during his planned tune-up bout, the Cuban star will clear his path toward major division unification fights.
