Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is very proud and thrilled of Mexican Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz’s latest achievement for being the first world boxing champion of the MP Promotions outside the Philippines.
Pacquiao was very happy to see the progress of the 25-year-old Cruz of Hermosillo, Mexico from 2019 when he first signed with Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions up to winning the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super lightweight belt last Sunday.
“So glad to see Mexican Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz rise to the occasion to become a world titleholder under our promotion,” the 45-year-old eight-division world champion said in a statement, expressing his appreciation of the sacrifices and hard work of the Mexican fighter.
“He [Cruz] is a true, hardworking warrior, his boxing skills, power and speed are honed by years of his sacrifice in training and learning. MP Promotions is very proud of his accomplishment,” Pacquiao added.
Cruz, who sports a 26-2-1 win-loss-draw record with 18 knockouts, dethroned American Rolando Romero behind his flurry of powerful punches en route to his eight-round technical knockout victory last Sunday to seize the WBA crown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons, also a well-known international matchmaker, said Pacquiao and Cruz have a lot of things in common, as both are good professional boxers and family men.
“When they met, Sir Manny said this gentleman is so humble, he is 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 senator. Both of them are great,” said Gibbons, referring to Cruz and Pacquiao.
Gibbons added that Cruz is the first fighter that they signed outside of the Philippines in 2019 and the first boxer from Mexico they were able to successfully develop to become a world champion.
“Manny Pacquiao is very thrilled promoting the newest face of Mexican boxing, Isaac Pitbull Cruz. When I showed him Isaac Cruz, he was thrilled, and he said this is the real deal. This guy can hit, has the style, and he got everything,” he added.
“Mexico and Philippines have a great history together in boxing. Manny Pacquiao hasdso much great history with his fights with Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez,” Gibbons explained.