Promoter Eddie Hearn says he spoke to Keyshawn Davis last night and “gave him the hype” about Andy Cruz following the Cuban talent’s win over Omar Salcido at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
(Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
Hearn reminded Keyshawn that he had fought Cruz four times in amateur competition and had lost each time. He told Davis he had “mental block” from those losses and he is haunted by memories. It did something to him.
5-0 and a nightmare
2020 Olympic gold medalist Cruz (5-0, 2 KOs) is on a fast track to a world title and fights a talented opponent to quickly win the belt.
He made Salcido (20-2, 14 KOs) look easy last night, outdoing him by unanimous decision over 10 rounds by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92. Salcido is a very good fighter, but he was out of his league against Cruz.
“I was rooting for Keyshawn. I like him. He was saying: ‘You know I beat him [Andy Cruz]. You know I beat him.’ I said, ‘Mate, he’s in your head. You have a mental block with Andy Cruz. You know you can’t beat him. You fought him four times and never beat him.’ ‘Well, that was in the amateurs.’ ‘Look, you’re angry again.’ I was just rooting for him,” said Eddie Hearn iFL TVdiscussing his conversation with Keyshawn Davis about the issues with Cuban talent Andy Cruz.
“Andy is brilliant. I think people forget how good Salcido was too. I think he’s going to get better and better against a better opponent,” Hearn continued of Cruz. “I think sometimes he shuts off when he gets bored when he knows how easy it is, and he’s just really, really good.
“IBF,” Hearn said when asked where he was moving Cruz. “If Loma pulls out, it’ll be Abdullaev vs. Muratalla, where he’s premature anyway, and Andy’s next up.”
Andy Cruz vs. the winner of Raymond Muratalla vs. Zaur Abdullaev would be a good fight, but it wouldn’t be any more competitive than last night’s opponent, Omar Salcid. Muratalla is only a one-armed, right-handed striker. Cruz would school him.
Abdullaev would not be any competition. They could also hand the IBF belt to Cruz if he faces the winner of the Muratalla vs. Abdullaev fight. Top Rank would likely resist allowing Muratalla to fight Cruz if he gets his hands on the IBF belt.
“It depends on Keyshawn Davis,” Hearn said when asked how far along the fight between Andy Cruz and Keyshawn is. “Keyshawn will fight [WBO lightweight champion Denys] Berinchyk [next]. It’s an easy fight. So he wins it and becomes the WBO world champion.
“Tell me another lightweight fight outside of Tank. He’s 140 pounds,” Hearn said when an interviewer brought up Teofimo Lopez’s name as an option for Keyshawn’s fight after taking the WBO lightweight title from Berinchyk on Feb. 14.
Cruz packing?
It’s the same thing with the Muratalla-Abdullaev fight. Top Rank promotes Keyshawn Davis and won’t let him fight Andy Cruz, knowing that his chances of losing will be high. They are trying to turn Keyshawn into their next star with careful matchmaking.
Moreover, he repeatedly refused to fight Cruz. So it’s not just Top Rank that doesn’t want this fight. Keyshawn would have to be dragged into the ring to fight Cruz because he knows his career would be permanently damaged if he fought him. Keyshawn is a classic example of a hype job. Let’s get it out there.
A fight against Cruz would bring out who Keyshawn is, and he will fight that fight with every ounce of energy he has. Top Rank will probably help. If Keyshawn gets his hands on the WBO belt next month, he will vacate it if Cruz becomes his mandatory challenger and the fight is ordered. That’s my prediction.
“There are two fights that people will say, ‘I’m more interested in them than Andy Cruz.’ That’s Tank, which I don’t think is going to happen this year, and Shakur,” Hearn continued, “That’s his [Keyshawn] best friend They will never fight. Tell me a more intriguing fight, a better story, more competitive than Keyshawn Davis vs. Andy Cruz.”
Easy way
Hearn is right. Cruz is the best fight for Keyshawn, but he’s wrong if he thinks that’s going to happen. Eddie is not American and knows little about people from the US. Keyshawn is so easy to read. He wants the easy life and money and will NEVER fight Cruz again.
“So for me, I think it’s a natural struggle. They fought four times. Andy Cruz won every time,” Hearn said. “He calls him his son, and the build-up will be great. It’s a brilliant fight, and a 50-50 fight at that. Keyshawn looks really good. Now he has a lot of experience in the pros, and Andy only has five fights.”
Cruz will make Keyshawn look like the real duck that he is, and the fans will notice. He will always look #2. It doesn’t matter how well Top Rank maneuvers Keyshawn to make him look better than he is.
“Andy just beat Salcido tonight. [Antonio] Moran last time. He moves fast and he’s a hell of a talent,” Hearn said.
