In the US, accomplished Cuban boxer Andy Cruz takes his first pro steps

PHILADELPHIA – When the timer chimed to begin Round 3, Andy Cruz stalked Rostyslav Sabadash behind a stiff jab.

Sabadash, taller and bulkier, edged backwards. Cruz, a Cuban boxer who had

won the lightweight gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021,

popped him with two more long lefts.

Cruz is one of the most accomplished fighters to emerge from Cuba’s celebrated boxing programme. Along with his Olympic gold, he has three amateur world titles and has twice won at the Pan American Games.

But in mid-May, Cruz, 27, arrived in Philadelphia to learn how to box like a pro: He will make his pro debut in Detroit on July 15, in a 10-round bout against rugged veteran Juan Carlos Burgos.

Cruz’s manager, Yolfri Sanchez, watched the sparring session from ringside. His head coach, Derek Ennis, nicknamed Bozy, perched on the apron. Sanchez hired Ennis to replace Cruz’s amateur habits with pro techniques: hitting with authority, staying in range, catching and countering punches.

Another Cruz right hand started a heated exchange of blows. Ennis reined in his gym’s new star.

“That’s not what you want to do,” Ennis said. “Somebody bigger than you, don’t stand there and bang with him. Be smart.”

Cruz’s boxing IQ, along with his speed and timing, helped make him the boxer many observers consider the best Cuban of his generation. A falling out with Cuba’s boxing federation led him to leave the country in 2022, which made Cruz boxing’s hottest free agent – and its most intriguing prospect.

In May, he signed a three-year deal with Matchroom Boxing that will guarantee him payment in the seven figures, and his backers think he will dominate the talent-rich lightweight division by next summer.

But pro success will depend on how well Cruz adapts, both to his new country and to a new version of a familiar sport. “Training is fine, but I need to fight,” he said in Spanish after the sparring session. “I’m anxious. I’m eager. I like to work under pressure. That’s when you get the best out of me.”

Cruz first gained notice in the United States in July 2021, dancing in the ring to celebrate his Olympic gold while the silver medallist, American Keyshawn Davis, grandstanded in front of a TV camera.

Davis was a highly rated amateur and is now a fast-rising lightweight prospect, and Cruz had outclassed him – and not for the first time. Cruz is 4-0 against Davis.

“I’d never seen anything like it,” said Eddie Hearn, chair of Matchroom Sport. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it was like watching an artist draw a painting. I was mesmerised by the ease he beat the best amateurs in the world.”

Cruz was slated to make his pro debut in May 2022, under a novel partnership between Cuba’s boxing federation and Mexico-based Golden Ring Promotions.

Cuban boxers could rise through pro rankings, and the federation would receive a cut of their payouts. Boxers would remain eligible for international competitions.

The arrangement was meant to showcase the whole Cuban team, but Cruz was the headliner. A video hyping his scheduled appearance remains on Golden Ring’s YouTube page.

But the day before the Cuban delegation travelled to Mexico, Cruz was dropped from the squad. In some accounts, officials cited a poor attitude and bad practice habits. He said the move had been pre-emptive, made by officials who were scared that he would abandon the team in Mexico.

In recent years, Cuba’s once-mighty sports programme has struggled to retain top-tier talent, with some athletes deserting national teams during trips abroad and others fleeing the country.

Several world-class athletes were among the more than 250,000 Cubans who migrated to the US in 2022.

Hearn said Cruz was already equipped to defeat the lightweight division’s elite, including Gervonta Davis, the ticket-selling knockout artist; Shakur Stevenson, the 2016 Olympic runner-up; and Devin Haney, the undisputed champion.

A future match-up with Davis is a natural – the two have sniped at each other over social media since April.

But first up is Burgos, whose 35-7-3 record includes decision losses to Haney and Davis.

Where most professional debuts are scheduled for four or six rounds, Cruz’s fight against Burgos is contracted for 10, evidence that promoters and regulators already consider him a veteran.

“I want to win all my fights – win all the belts,” Cruz said. “I want to do what I did in amateur boxing. I had a great career, and I can repeat it.” NYTIMES