It takes a village to raise a child. But it takes a competent team to build a world champion—something Isaac Cruz is well aware of. The 26-year-old is coming off an upset loss to Jose Valenzuela in April last year. Now, he is preparing to bounce back from that loss with his February 1st fight against Angel Fierro.

The pair is slated to clash heads at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And Cruz is busy training for the fight in the gym alongside his coach/father Isaac Cruz Sr. to ensure ‘Pitbull’ gets his hand raised after the final bell. So, before the action kicks off, let’s dive deeper into how his family contributed to making him the exceptional boxer that he is today.

Who is Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz’s coach?

Isaac Cruz Sr. encourages his son by standing in his corner during fights as his coach. Being a boxer in his time, Cruz Sr. was a knockout artist himself. Despite having a modest record of 16–10, he was able to win 14 of his fights via knockout. He imparted the same knockout power to his son, who is often touted as the ‘Mexican Mike Tyson’ among his fans. His grandpa Memo Cruz also helps him with his experience as a fighter. 

The 26-year-old boxer believes, “I know how fortunate I am to have my Papa and Abuelo around. Few fighters have that privilege. I want to honor that and celebrate that because I know it’s a select group of champions who have the honor to stand as a champion and make their dreams come true.” Since Cruz made his US debut in 2019, PBC boss Al Haymon has given him advice and promoted him on key PBC fight cards.

Cruz is promoted by boxing great Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions. Right now, Canelo Alvarez is Mexico’s most prominent fighter. Following Cruz’s triumph over Romero, Sean Gibbons, the head of MP Promotions and Pitbull’s manager, said, “There’s Canelo. And there’s Pitbull… You heard this place… He can main event on his own..We know he can headline [T-Mobile Arena] himself. 

“That’s what he did tonight, with 14,726 in the building. I would say a star was born. He is a Mexican Mike Tyson.” Gibbons and Cruz’s horde of admirers think he fights like legendary boxer Mike Tyson. So what does ‘Iron Mike’ feel about it? 

Where does Isaac Cruz train?

The super lightweight champion has spent most of his time training at the Mirra Boxing Gym in Mexico City. He considers it as his second home and said, “The people at the gym really motivate you to give it your best, whether you train or during sparring. We are very motivated.” He has also trained at the Knuckleheads boxing gym in the past.

Of the two professional losses of his career, Cruz was defeated by WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis. But Cruz believes that he can outclass the American boxer and said, “I don’t know if [Davis is] afraid or not to face me in a rematch, but what I do know, with the right training camp and the right preparation, if I face Gervonta again, I can give him a big surprise.” 

Isaac Cruz’s relationship with his father

Isaac Cruz shares a unique bond with his father. As Cruz prepares for his fight against Rolando Angel Fierro on February 1st, he acknowledges the balance between their personal and professional relationship.

“Look, it is a separation of family and work,” Cruz told BoxingScene. “So with my dad, we know when it is go-time and when we got to train it is one thing then, after we finish training, we are back to being a family again.”

Cruz, who gained fame after a competitive fight with Gervonta Davis, has remained disciplined under his father’s guidance. Despite the pressures of training, he emphasizes mutual respect. “We focus on having those worlds separate, and we are getting along great,” he said.

That said, as Isaac Cruz tries to bounce back from his last fight with his latest fight, he will have his father/coach cheating for him from his corner. What do you think about Cruz and his father’s relationship?