Bethlehem, PA may not immediately be looked upon as a breeding ground of boxing talent, but located just one hour north of boxing rich Philadelphia and 90 minutes west of New York City, you better recognize. While the boxing public keeps waiting for welterweight superstars Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to someday settle the debate as to who the best in the world is, there is a little known 147 lb. fighter who’s slowly creating a buzz in the northeast.
CRUZ CRUISES OVER JOURNEYMAN IN STYLE
Ronald Cruz (13-0, 10 KO’s), a native of South Bethlehem, put on quite a show in his hometown tonight in the first ever professional fight card held at the Pennsylvania Sands Casino. Headlining for the first time in his career against tough, tried and tested Doel Carrasquillo (15-18-1, 13 KO’s), Cruz (pictured above with trainer Lemuel ‘Indio’ Rodriguez post fight) brought the crowd to a frenzy with a sixth round stoppage of the journeyman; when Carrasquillo signaled to referee Steve Smoger he could no longer continue. Despite the record, Carrasquillo was coming off a KO win in February against a previous (12-0) fighter Douglas Dougin.
CRUZ LOVES TO (B)EAT RIBS
However, any thought he had of doing it again was squashed when he indicated his rib was broken by Cruz and he could no longer continue. Fghting in his first ever scheduled ten rounder, Cruz appeared to be in cruise control the first four rounds. However, when I asked Rodriguez about it he remarked, “On the contrary; he was following the game plan to perfection, which was to touch his body until he could take no more and the ref would be forced to stop it.”
LOCAL KID HANDLED THE PRESSURE WELL
Meanwhile, with a hometown crowd in attendance and his first ever main event, I asked Cruz if he felt any pressure to perform. His response, “I felt it early and throughout my training camp, but I did my best to not let it consume me.” When asked how he felt when he heard the thunderous ovation he received coming out of the locker room, he said, “It felt good.” “I heard it, but I was trying to stay focused at the task at hand and not let myself, get caught up in the moment.”
FAMED PROMOTER RUSSELL PELTZ PUT SHOW TOGETHER
Though names like the aforementioned Pacquiao, Mayweather and Victor Ortiz dominate the world 147 lb. landscape, welterweights better beware; there’s a new kid in town. Getting close to being ranked with the best, Cruz is looking sharper every time out and starting to be called ‘Hands of Steel’, because of his punching power and the old Bethlehem Steel mill this town was once known for.
“Slammin’ Sammy” Perez