Andy Cruz

Bio

Andy Cruz is, flat out, one of the finest pure boxers on the planet — and he's only just getting started as a professional. An Olympic gold medallist with a ludicrous amateur record, the Cuban glides around the ring with feet that seem to know where you're going before you do. Defensively he's a nightmare, offensively he's precise, and technically he's about as complete as they come at lightweight.

Let's not beat around the bush: Cruz announced himself on the amateur stage by getting the better of the very best in the world, repeatedly. That pedigree doesn't just vanish when you turn pro. He's carried the same slick, elusive, counter-punching style into the paid ranks and made good operators look ordinary. Watching him work is a lesson in the sweet science — every movement means something.

The knock, if there is one, is that he's not a big puncher, and he's turning pro relatively late, so the clock matters. But make no mistake, you don't need one-punch power when you're this hard to hit and this accurate. Cruz wins rounds in bunches and banks them without taking damage — the kind of style that ages well because it doesn't rely on legs alone.

Now on the July 18 card in Carson against short-notice replacement Abraham Montoya, Cruz should be doing his talking with a masterclass. But the bigger truth is that a talent like this belongs in title fights, not stay-busy assignments. Get him matched properly and Andy Cruz could be one of the standout world champions of this era. He's levels above most of the division already.