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Five months after their last war, Isaac ‘Pitbull' Cruz (27-3-1) and Angel Fierro (23-3-2) will reconvene in the ring and attempt to recreate their first classic. It is time to continue our boxing odds series with an Isaac Cruz-Angel Fierro 2 prediction and pick.
Cruz, 27, took a hard-fought unanimous decision over Fierro in February. Despite closing as a 9-1 favorite, Cruz found himself in a neck-and-neck battle with his fellow countryman. Regardless, the win allowed the former two-division champion to bounce back from his upset loss to Jose Valenzuela in August 2024.
Fierro, 26, is continuing to play his role as the villain since their first fight in February. Still believing he was wrongfully handed a loss, Fierro claims he feels no threat from Cruz and has talked up a storm over the last five months. With the loss, Fierro has now dropped two of his last three bouts, with losses to Cruz and Alfredo Santiago sandwiching a November 2024 win over Elezar Valenzuela Carrillo.
Here are the Isaac Cruz-Angel Fierro odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Boxing Odds: Isaac Cruz-Angel Fierro 2 Odds
Isaac Cruz: -650
Angel Fierro: +410
Over 11.5 Rounds: -200
Under 11.5 Rounds: +154
How to Watch Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro 2
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Fight ring walk time (estimated): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
TV/Stream: PBC PPV on Amazon Prime Video
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access / Save $30)*
Why Isaac Cruz Will Win
Cruz is not the most technical fighter, but his style is one of the most difficult for anyone in the division to face. The all-action ‘Pitbull' never takes a moment off and pressures his opponent from bell to bell, all while throwing his entire soul into each punch. Cruz's style is one that takes some time to adjust to, but he never gives anybody enough space to fully digest what is being thrown at them.
Like a true Mexican warrior, Fierro did not back down from Cruz for a second and met him right in the center of the ring for most of the fight. While admirable, he could not match Cruz's power. The thudding shots all came from Cruz, who is the far more powerful puncher with much more big-fight experience. Fierro found a rhythm late, but still got caught by several overhands and check hooks throughout the bout.
Fierro's biggest issue is his defense in the pocket, as he tends to leave his right hand down in close. He acknowledged that hole in his game since the loss and claims to have improved on it. But with just five months since the first matchup, and no other fight to gauge his growth, it is hard to imagine Fierro could have made such a stark improvement. While he ate Cruz's shots well the first time around, Fierro has already been dropped three times before in his career, all to lesser fighters.
Why Angel Fierro Will Win
Fierro entered the last bout determined to prove that he is an elite boxer, and for the most part, did just that. Fierro's head movement, defense, and counters were on point, particularly against an awkward fighter like Cruz. It took him a few rounds, but nobody has ever won the opening rounds against Cruz.
While Cruz typically finishes most of his opponents before they can figure him out, Fierro never backed down from the fight for a second. ‘Tashiro' met Cruz's pressure with some of his own, while eating the former champion's onslaught of power shots without taking too much damage. Fierro comfortably won the second half of the fight, out-landing ‘Pitbull' 132-106 over the last five rounds, according to Compubox.
With a three-inch height advantage and a five-inch longer reach, Fierro is the better fighter at range. Cruz never allows his fights to exist on the outside, but Fierro excelled at hitting him on the break and popping a jab in his face as often as he could. Cruz landed much more body shots, but Fierro won the jab battle 45-29.
Final Isaac Cruz-Angel Fierro 2 Prediction & Pick
As exciting as his style is, Cruz is starting to get figured out by more opponents the deeper he gets into his career. Fierro seemed to be one of those fighters in February. After taking a few rounds to gauge the aggressive Cruz, Fierro had all the momentum late in the fight and landed more punches on the former champion than anybody has before. Cruz has never fought a rematch before in his professional career, which is notable given his unorthodox style.
As the fighter who generated more momentum in the second half of the fight, Fierro should have an edge heading into the rematch. He might lose the early rounds again, when Cruz is the most dangerous, but Fierro is the far more technical boxer, which tends to matter most late in the fight.
Since the last fight, Fierro has begun working with esteemed trainer Roberto Garcia, who has trained the likes of Vergil Ortiz Jr., Jesse ‘Bam' Rodriguez, and his brother, Mikey Garcia. Fierro claims that Garcia has helped him shore up his defensive mechanics, which often got him into trouble in the first fight. If true, Fierro, who already has an above-average chin, will be much tougher for Cruz to batter around. A battle that was so close the first time around should not favor Cruz this widely, especially with the success Fierro had late.
Final Isaac Cruz-Angel Fierro 2 Prediction & Pick: Angel Fierro (+410)
