Reigning WBA 130-pound champion Lamont Roach (pictured) and former 140-pound champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz previewed their showdown for the WBC interim 140-pound title during a virtual press conference on Tuesday before they headline a PBC pay-per-view event on Prime Video taking place Saturday, December 6th at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Cruz and Roach will square off as each seeks to add another signature victory to their resume and separate themselves from the rest of the stacked junior welterweight division. The four-fight pay-per-view broadcast will also see WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara take on unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly in the high-stakes co-feature. Plus, two-division champion Stephen Fulton Jr. challenges WBC 130-pound champion O’Shaquie Foster and Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. duels Shane Mosley Jr. for the WBC interim middleweight title opening the pay-per-view at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com.
Here is what Cruz and Roach had to say Tuesday:
LAMONT ROACH
“We’ve brought in guys that are tough and straight up relentless. We’ve been looking good against them in sparring. The fight is different than sparring, but it’s just about getting myself into that mentality and into the kill zone. I’ll be stepping into it for sure on December 6th.
“I’m here to show that my last fight wasn’t just one good night in the office. That’s what I’m gonna do every single time. I want to put on a show for the fans and prove that I’m of the caliber to headline events like this.
“Fans can expect a hell of a show. There’s a great undercard leading up to a banger of a main event. I promise it won’t be anything less than a spectacular fight.
“Every time I get in the ring my goal is to show everyone that I’m gonna go down in history as one of the best fighters of all time.
“We’re gonna see what opportunities open up in the ring. There are going to be a lot of aspects of my game that you’re gonna see. That’s gonna be the beauty of the night.
“I feel great to be headlining on pay-per-view for the second time. After this performance I look forward to doing many more.
“I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do. I’ve proved that to myself my entire career.
“My goal has always been the same and that’s to fight the best fighters. I was always going to reach this level, it was just a matter of time.
“There’s definitely a chance I stay at 140 pounds. It depends what presents itself. Ultimately I want to go back to 135 and be a champion there, because I feel I was shorted out of a title in that division. I won’t hesitate to take a world title opportunity at 140 though.
“I don’t pay attention to the fans in the arena at all. Once I get into the ring there are minimal distractions for me. All I hear are the two corners and the ref. I’ve been in this situation before and I know how to handle it.”
ISAAC “PITBULL” CRUZ
“We’re really looking forward to going out there on December 6 and giving the fans in San Antonio and all over the world the great show that they deserve.
“We’ve had a tough training camp from the get-go because we know Roach is a great opponent. But we’ve stayed determined with victory as our only goal in mind. We’re coming to win, no matter what.
“My activity this year will be a big advantage. I’ve just had to make adjustments. I didn’t have to gear up for training camp. We’ve been able to prepare exactly how we want to going into December 6th.
“I’m going to fight my heart out in the ring. I’m going to go after it round after round no matter how hard it gets. It’s all about giving the fans what they deserve.
“Gervonta Davis, Roach and I are three completely different fighters. I hope Roach comes ready to fight, because it will be very different from what he saw in March against Gervonta. Lamont says he’s gonna knock me out, so I’m gonna come after him with whatever it takes.
“The fans are everything to me. If you make the time investment to watch me fight, it’s incredibly valuable to me. Not every fighter gets it and I know that it helps me to hear them during the fight.
“I’ve gotten stronger and stronger in recent years. And during that time I’ve gotten more and more confident. Those are the biggest ways that I’ve improved.
“The legacy talk is not my main focus. My main focus is on winning December 6th. Of course, at some point, Canelo will be passing the torch, and when it comes I’ll be ready mentally and physically. In the end, it will be up to the fans to decide who they want to be the next face of Mexican boxing. If they decide it’s me, I’ll be proud to carry that legacy forward.
“My power has always been there and I’ve showcased it in every fight that I’ve had. Let’s see if Roach can go in there and withstand my power on December 6.
