Andy Cruz is convinced this is his year. The Cuban boxer starts early in 2025 and as soon as this Saturday he will climb into the ring (DAZN) for his fifth professional fight against Omar Salcido, at the Chelsea Ballroom of the Hotel and Casino Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
As part of Team Benavidez, Salcido made part of his camp in Miami and even held sparring with Cuban fighters to find a formula that would allow him to defeat the “Diander,” but Cruz is convinced that this will be of no use.
The matancero comes unstoppably and in its first four professional presences it has beaten the same number of Mexicans, so Salcido will be the fifth before the great opportunity that has been waiting for so long.
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And if he ends up with his hand raised he will remain in Las Vegas to attend the fight of his friend and compatriot David Morrell to David Benavidez. So two super-important Saturdays are coming for Cuban boxing.
Is this the toughest fight so far in your career?
Yeah, every fight I’ve been having is with a higher level of difficulty. Every fight is different, with its characteristics, but this one is going to be very good for me. A new step to keep showing what I’m made of. Omar Salcido is going to be a great test. He is a strong boy who comes on the rise, hungry, and arrives after a great victory.
Like you say, it comes from beating Chris Colbert, what do you get out of that?
He’s a strong fighter who at all times tries to impose his boxing on the ring. He went out to do it with that fighter and he did well. Colbert, still not at one hundred percent, is a great fighter who is hard to defeat. It was a great demonstration of Omar in that fight.
Salcido was part of the camp in Miami, near Cubans.
Is it a good strategy on the part of them, of their work team, but it’s not the same to say what to do, and it’s not the same a sparring thing as a fight. Each boxer has its own characteristics. Just because we’re Cubans doesn’t mean we fight the same. It’s not the same as dancing salsa as a gate.
You start Cuban boxing on the big stage, do you feel responsible for that?
Despite the fatality that occurred in the fight with Robeisy Ramirez, I feel like Cuban boxing is upstairs. I think he’s going through a good time. The same thing that is happening, this rivalry between Cuba and Mexico is very good. Mexico is one of the greats of boxing and entering into rivalry with the Mexicans is sneaking us into a good position of professional boxing. There’s a lot of young Cuban talent pushing.
I imagine you’re fighting and you’re staying to see Morrell on February 1.
That’s an order. Every time we talk, we give each other mutual support. Always letting know that you have to give everything in the ring. I see him very focused. As we say in Cuba, I see him on and motivated, above all, eager for the fight to come. I also have a desire for that day to come because the fight is going to be quite hot.
Is this the last test before you get to the division cap?
Is it one more step to achieve the goal which is to get to the top? My promoter Eddie Hearn is doing his job. I have to do mine over the ring so he keeps doing his good. He’s getting along, in a great way. What I have left is to prove that I’m done and that he wasn’t wrong about me.
Keyshawn Davis is already going to fight a world title, will you do it this 2025 as well?
This may be my year. I have no doubt Andy’s year, a lover, Cruz. I feel like I’m not wasting my time. I thank the fans for their support. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. Let them follow my career because Diamond Cruz has been there for a while. I’m not going to let them down.
