Luis Cruz’s IBF Title Battle
On February 10, 2017, Robert Easter Jr. knocked Luis Cruz down three times and won a unanimous decision over twelve rounds in Toledo to retain the IBF lightweight championship. Cruz had earlier lost a majority decision to Juan Carlos Burgos.
Cruz turned professional in March 2007. Premier Boxing Champions reports that Cruz won his first 19 bouts, including 15 by knockout.
Cruz entered unbeaten, but Burgos won a 10-round majority decision and took the WBC Silver and WBO Latino super-featherweight belts.
On February 10, 2017, Cruz challenged IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. in Toledo. Easter scored three knockdowns and won by unanimous decision over 12 rounds, retaining his title.
After opening with 19 straight victories, Cruz lost five of his next seven fights between November 2011 and July 2015.
At the time of the Easter title challenge, PBC reported that Cruz also worked in personal training and drywall businesses while raising a young family.
The Burgos fight marked a turning point in Cruz’s professional record. He entered unbeaten, but Burgos won a majority decision and took the WBC Silver and WBO Latino belts. Cruz later rebuilt his position and received an IBF lightweight title challenge against Robert Easter Jr. The contrast between those bouts is useful context: the first ended his unbeaten run at super featherweight, while the later championship opportunity came at 135 pounds after additional years in the sport (PBC bout record).
The contest with Easter was a world-title opportunity at lightweight, and the knockdowns were central to the result. PBC’s report says Easter scored three knockdowns before the unanimous decision, giving the champion a clear route to retain his belt over twelve rounds. Cruz’s earlier challenge against Burgos had ended differently, by majority decision, so the Easter bout was not his first time facing a world-level opponent. The record shows a boxer who reached title contention more than once, while the outcomes remained with his opponents (PBC fight report; WBO report).
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Article Tags
Luis Cruz, Boxing, Boxing History, Championship Results
