Olympic gold medalist and considered the greatest amateur boxer of all time, Andy Cruz, after only three pro fights, will lock horns with Antonio Moran, who has already won 70% of his fights via knockouts on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov. Will he live up to his reputation? Or, will Moran bury Cruz under the Cuban’s own weight?

To know the answer, you must tune in for one of the biggest boxing events in the history of LA. Come on, you cannot afford to miss Andy Cruz’s prowess as a technical fighter! Read our detailed analysis and prediction to understand what Cruz vs. Moran means to the boxing world.

Tale of the tape

A close look at Andy Cruz

You cannot help being a fan of Andy Cruz’s footwork if you love boxing. So fluid! Do you not think Cruz, 3-0-0(1KO), is dancing to a beat only he listens to in the ring? He goes to the left, to the right, dodges punches in proximity, and then counters within reach. The 28-year-old prefers staying outside the pocket and catching his opponents as they try to enter his territory. He keeps a busy and powerful jab too. Do you recall his fight against Keyshawn Davis at the 2019 AIBA finals? If you do, you should also recall how well he had maintained Davis at bay with his fast and explosive jabs. A wide gap between the feet, a fencer. But that was a few years ago. And for those who are curious about their fight? Andy Cruz won against Keyshawn Davis every time the two fought each other. No wonder, he was signed by Matchroom Boxing pretty quickly.

In his last fight, Cruz, 135lbs, fought Brayan Zamarripa Rodriguez. One thing that is truly admirable about Cruz is that despite being the taller fighter at 5′ 9″, he maintained a tall guard, taking no chances against the southpaw boxer. Unlike his amateur bouts, Cruz is not in a hurry inside the professional ring. Instead, he focuses on impressive punch placements and reflexes. He squats and throws a right hand to the body. And every time he attempts the right hand, he puts his left foot outside the center line which allows him to cut angles if need be.

Overall, Andy Cruz is a highly intelligent boxer with vision, explosiveness, quickness, size, and technique. He is undoubtedly on his way to becoming one of the faces of the sport. As of now, he has won only one i.e. 33.33% of his fights via knockouts in the pro ring.

A close look at Antonio Moran

On the other hand, Antonio Moran, 30-6-1 (21KOs), has experience against the likes of Jermaine Ortiz and Devin Haney. Being a 5′ 11″ tall fighter, Moran keeps his hands a little low at times which creates an inlet for his opponent’s punches. For example, Devin Haney landed a solid left hook followed by a right hand in the seventh round of their fight as Moran approached ‘The Dream’ with his chin unprotected. A few seconds later, Haney knocked the living soul out of Moran with a vicious right hand to the head.

Apart from that, there are other concerns about Moran’s boxing. Although the 31-year-old has a reach of 180cm, he does not use it to his advantage. This is why in his last fight, the shorter boxer Romero Duno was successful early in the fight. If you watch Moran’s jabs, they are not even close to what Andy Cruz throws. Additionally, the Mexican boxer is deficient in head movement. However, to his credit, Moran did tire out Duno and caught his rhythm.

Finally, he overran Duno with his power and accuracy. So, one thing good about Moran is that he searches for his openings despite starting slow. As of now, Moran has won 70% of his matches via knockouts!

Who will emerge victorious?

If Antonio Moran does not compromise his guard against Andy Cruz, the length of the fight will entirely depend on Moran’s endurance. Since Cruz has had only three professional fights, it is advisable for Moran to take his time and take the former into deep waters. It is also wise for Moran to take full advantage of his height. However, he should be careful to avoid the kind of mistake he made against Haney. Be patient, look for the counter punches that will cost Cruz in proximity.

And since Moran has power, if he lands a clear shot, he will do damage to the Cuban boxer. On the other hand, there is hardly anything to complain about Andy Cruz. Although he has had only three professional fights, he has 140 amateur wins from 149 fights. Not a desperate boxer at all even though he understands when it is time to step on it. As far as what Cruz has already demonstrated, there is a good chance he will go the distance with Moran, ultimately winning the fight via UD provided Moran does not get himself knocked out.