LAS VEGAS, NV — Isaac “Pitbull ” Cruz set the mood early Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. He blew wild overhand right whistles by the head Rolando “Rolly ” Romero.

Then Cruz showed Romero a masterclass of stalking and cutting the ring.

Cruz finished his beating of Romero by firing at least six consecutive shots to the head. Referee Tom Taylor stopped the fight after 56 seconds in the eighth round. Cruz won Romero’s WBA junior-welterweight world championship on the comain event of an event that featured Tim Tszyu fighting Sebastian Fundora for the junior middleweight world title.

Cruz said: “I didn’t want to come and win.” “I wanted Rolly to eat up all the garbage he told me and I wanted to kill him.” I fought to keep the decision out the judges’ hands.

Mission accomplished.

The Mexico City fighter Cruz (26-2-1 with 18 KOs) dominated the fight to the point that Romero was checked by the ringside physician before the eighth round. Romero nearly fell in the first after taking a heavy left hook to the face. In the fifth, he was docked for holding. And in the seventh round, he was again saved from falling by the ropes.

Cruz has now won his fourth straight fight since losing to Gervonta a unanimous decision on Dec. 5th, 2021 in Los Angeles.

“I was ready for this.” I wasn’t just here to fight. “I was here to end him,” said Cruz. “I said what I had to say right here, in the ring.” I did it not just for myself but for everyone who is here at T-Mobile Arena. There’s going be a Mexican 140-pound champion for a very long time.”

The taller Romero has lost two of his three last fights. He fights out of Las Vegas and felt that he had no home ring advantage in front of a pro Mexico crowd.

He lost the WBA’s lightweight championship by TKO in the sixth round to Davis on May 28 2022 in Brooklyn. Then, on May 13 2023 in Las Vegas, he stopped Ismael Barrooo for the WBA title of junior welterweight. He never looked comfortable when Cruz cut off the ring on him and absorbed so many power punches.

Lara is still the champion despite her quick victory over Zefara

The crowd booed for the relative lack of activity. It whistled mockingly.

Then, it shrieked with appreciation.

Erislandy Lara’s quick 1-2 combo knockout of Michael Zerafa in the second round at 2:59 was a reaction to this.

As the clock wound down in the round the left-handed Lara connected a right punch to Zerafa’s jaw, before unleashing a left straight to the same location on the Australian.

Zerafa’s face bounced off of the bottom ring roping, and he shook his negative head at the referee Allen Huggins who stopped the fight after a second.

Lara (30-3-3 18 KOs), a Cuban from Guantanamo who is defending his title for the second time, has won four of his last five fights by stoppage. Zerafa, from Melbourne (31-5, 18 KOs), suffered his first loss since December 2019.

“Rust? What is rust? Lara said: “I’ve been training my f—ing a$$ off because I know all these fighters are going to come for my title.” “By being ready, you do not have to prepare.

“I’ve always said that it only takes one or two rounds for me to gauge my opponent, and I knew he was in trouble from the first round. “That left hand shot was only a question of time.”

“Rey” Martinez edges Cordova to retain WBC title

In the first minute of round three, the WBC flyweight champ knocked down Angelino Cordova twice with left hooks.

Martinez (21-3-1 NC 15 KOs), Mexico City, had Cordova (18-1-1 KOs), Venezuelan, Caracas, wobbly, in the fifth with another quick left hook, before settling down for a unanimous decision (113-113, 114-112, and 114-112), successfully defending his belt, to give Cordova, his first defeat.

The savage cuts were caused by an accidental headbutt in the 10th-round, which occurred with 23 seconds left.

Cordova set the tone for the first two rounds, before Martinez took the offensive and pursued his opponent. Martinez, responding to a pro Mexico crowd chanting his name, delivered a straight right into Cordova’s face 35 seconds into the seventh.

The eighth round, when the two 112-pounders went toe-totoe in the middle ring with haymakers, was the most entertaining. Cordova, who had already been knocked several times, was clowning with an Ali shuffle and a Sugar Ray Leonard windup, while Martinez was bleeding heavily.