Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao expressed his happiness towards Mexico’s Isaac Cruz, who won the World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight title and became MP Promotions’ first-ever non-Filipino world champion.
Pacquiao declared in a statement: “So glad to see Mexican Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz rise to the occasion to become a world titleholder under our promotion.” He was amazed by the growth of the 25-year-old boxer, who first signed with MP Promotions in 2019 and went on to defeat American champion Rolly Romero to win the world title.
Pacquiao on Cruz
Cruz currently has a 26-2-1 win-loss-draw record with 18 knockouts. He defeated Romero with a barrage of strong blows on his way to an eight-round technical knockout victory and the WBA title. Sean Gibbons, the president of MP Promotion stated that Pacquiao and Cruz share many similarities, including their status as family guys and are dedicated and skilled boxers.
“When they met, Sir Manny said this gentleman is so humble, he is a family man, and he loves spending his time with his kids and wife. He doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t do any bad habits similar to the senators, and both of them are great persons,” said Gibbons towards Cruz.
With this, Pacquiao said Cruz the embodiment of a true hard-working warrior. His boxing skills, power and speed are honed by years of his sacrifice in training and learning.
According to Gibbons, MP Promotions has recognized the long-standing Hispanic connections between the Philippines and Mexico, particularly in the boxing world. For this reason, Pacquiao highly appreciates the capabilities of every boxer from both countries, specifically because of their bravery.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: Philstar