2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz (4-0, 2 KOs) is just a week away from facing Mexican slugger Omar Salcido (20-1, 14 KOs) in a WBC lightweight title eliminator on January 25th , live on DAZN from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Chelsea Ballroom, Las Vegas.
Cruz-Salcido will fight Steve Nelson on the Diego Pacheco undercard and there’s a good chance they steal the show. Also on the card is undefeated light welterweight Ernesto Mercado (16-0, 15 KOIs), fighting former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza.
WBC title eliminator
If Andy Cruz wins against Salcido, the talented Cuban will be able to challenge the WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson for his title this year. Shakur has bigger plans for this year. He hopes to beat Floyd Schofield on February 22 and then defend against No. 1 William Zepeda if he can’t lure Vasily Lomachenko into the ring.
To top it off, I fought Gervonta Davis at the end of the year. More likely, Shakur will have to settle for someone else, but probably not Cruz, unless the World Boxing Council gives him no choice.
“My son”
Cruz would also like to face Keyshawn Davis if he can win the WBO lightweight title next month in his fight against champion Denys Berinchyk on February 14 at Madison Square Garden. Andy knows Keyshawn well, whom he refers to as “my son” because he fought him four times in the amateurs, defeating him in one-sided contests each time.
Cruz’s victory was so dominant in the 2020 Olympic final that Keyshawn appeared to lose his mind and celebrated his defeat after the fight, seemingly obvious that he had lost the fight. Since turning pro in 2023, Cruz has repeatedly challenged Keyshawn, but to no avail.
The Norfolk, Virginia native doesn’t want to take part in a fight against Cruz again, and it’s understandable why. He’s going to ruin his career and he can’t afford that in the pros.
If you lose in the professional game, it’s a completely different story because it’s permanent and difficult to come back unless someone like Turki Al-Sheikh is interested in you and is willing to let you lose around the clock and continue to get opportunities to win big.
“Yes, it’s mandatory for the (WBC),” Andy Cruz told YSM Sports Media when asked if his Jan. 25 fight against Omar Salcido is a WBC lightweight title eliminator to become the next mandatory challenger for champion Investigate Shakur Stevenson.
“When the time comes, I’m going to approach it differently,” Cruz said of the Shakur fight. “It’s a department with a lot of talent. There are many fighters with talent. I just focus on myself.
💎 @Andydiamondcruz ready to shine once again… @DAZNBoxing #CruzSalcido | January 25 | #PachecoNelson pic.twitter.com/aD0UcmWhmq
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) January 17, 2025
