A Family Of Fighters

A third-generation fighter out of Mexico City, Mexico, Isaac Jonathan Cruz Gonzalez embraced the family legacy at an early age.

"My childhood was in Magdalena Contreras in Mexico City. I grew up with my parents separated, so I was living with my mother and I played in the street freely and safely with my brother and the neighbors," said Cruz.  

"But my grandfather was a fighter and my father was a fighter. I started training at the age of seven. The reason is because I did not want to be just another number or a statistic. From the start, I wanted to be someone who shined brightly above the rest."

Cruz won 73 of 85 amateur bouts with 50 knockouts. He was the Mexico City champion from 2010-2014, a regional champion from 2011-20014 and participated in three Olympic trials.  

A 16-year-old Cruz debuted in March 2015 with a 90-second stoppage of Luis Yan Revilla, who represented his first of five victories, three of which were by knockout. 

Cruz went 4-1 (4 KOs) in 2016, rebounding from a unanimous decision loss to Luis Miguel Montano in February with four straight knockout wins. 

"I was very happy to win my professional debut and to know what I wanted in professional boxing,” said Cruz. “I felt very excited to defeat four strong, undefeated opponents at the beginning of my career. The lesson that my defeat left me was that you have to be disciplined, committed and improve during each training session,”

Nicknamed "The Pitbull" for his all-action approach, Cruz stopped Ivan Basurto in April 2017, then finished Dunis Linan in three rounds that July, before battling to a six-round draw with Jose Calyecac in September. That November, he stopped Ricardo Juan Saenz.

"I'm 'The Pitbull.' I got the name thanks to my imposing physique and aggressive, forceful fighting style,” said Cruz, who improved to 12-1-1 (10 KOs). “My [boxing idols] are Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, and I've learned to be more constant like they were in my workouts and to correct my technical errors."

On The Rise

"The Pitbull" stopped three of four opponents in 2018, including a third-round TKO over former world title challenger Jose Felix Jr., who entered at 36-3-1 (28 KOs).

 Cruz followed with two more victories in 2019, a first-round knockout of Eleazar Valenzuela in February, and an eight-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Perez Aispuro in December. 

Cruz had fought exclusively in Mexico before facing Aispuro in his American debut at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Aispuro was followed in February 2020 by Cruz’s 10-round majority decision win over the respected Thomas Mattice in Philadelphia. 

“Fighting in Brooklyn was very different from fighting in Mexico. Everything from the hand wrapping, to the commission to the medicals. That experience of fighting in the U.S. will help me both physically and emotionally," said Cruz, who improved to 19-1-1 (14 KOs.)

"The Felix fight was a great, satisfactory and emotional victory. I was confident in my physical and mental capacities and my ability to defeat any elite fighter. Against Mattice, I showed all the connoisseurs of boxing that I don't get tired, know how to go the distance if I don't get an early knockout, and can continue to throw effective punches throughout the entire fight."

Cruz made his intentions known in advance of his most difficult challenge in two-time world title challenger Diego Magdaleno at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Halloween 2020.

“I'm 'The Pitbull.’ I really like to attack, always coming forward and fighting the same no matter who I’m facing,” said Cruz. “I am preparing physically and mentally and above all technically to face Diego Magdaleno. If it is a victory by knockout, that's even better.”

Cruz won by two-knockdown, 53-second stoppage of Magdaleno (32-3, 13 KOs), whom he floored 20 seconds in with a right uppercut before decking him for good with consecutive uppercuts.

Cruz followed up his destruction of Magdaleno with two lopsided wins, a 12-round unanimous decision over Jose Romero in March 2021, then a 10-round unanimous decision over Francisco Vargas on June 19, 2021. 

The impressive run set Cruz up for a mega-bout versus boxing superstar and five-time world champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis. The two squared off for Davis' WBA World Lightweight Title on Sunday, December 5, 2021, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, live on SHOWTIME pay-per-view. 

Davis would win a unanimous decision but Cruz impressed, winning over the crowd with his hard-charging style and "take no prisoners" attitude. 
 
Scorecards read 116-112 and two scores of 115-113, all for Davis.
 
“Viva Mexico. I have nothing to say, the fans are speaking on who won this fight,” Cruz said.

Cruz returned on April 16, 2022, with a vicious fifth-round stoppage of former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, live on SHOWTIME pay-per-view. 

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT REEL KO

On September 4, 2022, Cruz took on fellow Mexican Eduardo Ramirez in the co-feature to the Andy Ruiz-Luis Ortiz main event on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. 

Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) delivered yet another a highlight-reel knockout, stopping Ramirez in the second round.
 
"I was ready to win at all costs, for my family and what better way to win than here in front of all the great fans in Los Angeles,” said Cruz.”
 
Midway through round two, Davis showed the fight-changing power that he possesses and that has helped make him a fan favorite in Los Angeles and beyond. Cruz first connected flush with a big left hook around a Ramirez jab that sent Ramirez to the mat hard.
 
While Ramirez was able to get to his feet, Cruz pushed forward, sensing his moment to end the fight. Using a feint right hand, Ramirez caught Cruz cleanly with another left hook and followed up with a powerful right hand to score a second knockdown. This time referee Jack Reiss jumped in immediately and halt the bout 2:27 into the round.
 
In his post-fight interview with FOX Sports’ Heidi Androl, Cruz declared his intention to rematch WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis, who was seated ringside.
 
"We want the rematch with Gervonta Davis,” said Cruz. “That's what these fans want. I promised the knockout tonight and we got it done.”

On July 29, 2023, Cruz was back in the ring in a WBC/WBA World Lightweight Title Eliminator against Giovanni Cabrera as the co-main event to the Errol Spence-Terence Crawford SHOWTIME PPV. Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KOs) was the aggressor throughout, edging the unbeaten Cabrera (21-1, 7 KOs) via split decision. He was deducted a point in round eight due to headbutts yet won the bout with scores of 115-112 and 114-113, with one judge scoring the action 114-113 for Cabrera.

“I was superior tonight, but I do respect all of my opponents, and he was very good today,” said Cruz. “I was frustrated a little. He thought it was my birthday because he was hugging me all night.”

The typically aggressive Cruz started patiently as the southpaw Cabrera used his height and jab to try to keep Cruz from getting into position to land his power shots across the early action. Cruz began to find his offense in rounds three through six, landing numerous strong hooks, including a counter left that gave Cabrera problems time and time again.

Cruz held a significant edge in power punches landed (152-55) and was the more accurate fighter overall by landing 31% of his shots compared to 13.5% from Cabrera.

Mexico's Next Great Champion?

On March 30, 2024, Cruz challenged for the world title against WBA 140-pound world champion Rolando "Rolly" Romero in the inaugural PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero was his usual chatty self in the build-up to the fight, trash talking Cruz and promising a KO. 

Cruz did his talking in the ring as he wrestled away the World Championship from Romero with an eighth-round TKO triumph. 

"I'm very happy and humbled to win this title for my family and for Mexico,” said Cruz. "I was prepared for this. I wasn't here to just fight. I was here to terminate him...I did my talking right here in the ring. And I did this not just for me, but for everybody that is here at T-Mobile Arena. There's going to be a Mexican champ at 140 pounds for a long time.”

After enduring pre-fight trash talk from Romero, it was Cruz who established his dominance early, connecting with a left hook to the top of the head that wobbled Romero badly in round one. Although Romero steadied himself and valiantly survived the round, he was never able to shake Cruz with his own power.

Romero was able to show enough movement and ring savvy to push the fight into the second half. He also attempted to strategically hold and keep Cruz off of him, but was deducted a point in round five for excessively holding. Despite these efforts, he was once again hurt late in round seven, this time from an onslaught that began with a straight right hand to the head. 

“I fought with the intention to leave the decision out of the judges’ hands,” said Cruz. “Mission accomplished.”

Romero again showed his mettle by making it to the bell, but early in round eight was met with another onslaught of power punches from the hard-charging Cruz. This time, the barrage was enough to force referee Thomas Taylor to waive off the fight 59 seconds into the round. Cruz’s dominance was reflected in the punch stats as he out landed (129-85) and was more accurate (36% to 25%) than Romero.

"I am not here just to be a dangerous fighter,” said Cruz. “I now have a title that is backing me up. So anybody that is available, I'll be ready."

In August 2024, Cruz would lose his title to Jose Valenzuela in a hotly-contested affair.