Andy Cruz vs. Jovanni Straffon: Up-Close Ringside View: One minute of sheer dominance as Andy Cruz beats down Jovanni Straffon to secure TKO win [VIDEO]

After a highly successful amateur career, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz has now improved his professional career to 2-0 in emphatic fashion.

Cruz defeated short-notice replacement Jovanni Straffon by a vicious third-round TKO. Shortly after, Cruz had fans whom he had impressed reacting to X. Despite the impressive performance, the stoppage was slightly controversial, as Straffon protested immediately.

In a ringside video from DAZN boxing, Andy Cruz could be seen overwhelming Straffon before earning a standing TKO.

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Per DAZN, Cruz landed 60% of his shots en route to the finish of the former IBO world lightweight champion. Cruz's main weapon remained his deadly right hand, and the Cuban champion's accuracy persisted for the duration of the fight.

While some fans claimed the stoppage was premature, Cruz had wobbled Straffon multiple times before the finish and remained firmly in control throughout. The loss dropped Straffon to 26-6-1.

Who is Andy Cruz?

Before his main card fight with Jovanni Straffon, Andy Cruz was one of the most interesting prospects in the event, with a professional boxing record of just 1-0.

Regardless of his inexperience professionally, Cruz is one of the most highly touted prospects in boxing. Cruz not only won a gold medal in the 2020 Olympics but also earned gold in the Pan American Games and World Amateur Championships.

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Cruz's win came just minutes after Miyo Yoshida stunned the crowd with an upset victory over fan-favorite Ebanie Bridges. With his performance, Cruz managed to elevate the atmosphere in the building.

The Cuban earned his first stoppage win over Straffon after debuting with a unanimous decision win over Juan Carlos Burgos. With the win, Cruz earned the IBF International Lightweight championship, a belt that he defended against Straffon.

Cruz was initially scheduled to face Hector Tanajara Jr. on the Devin Haney vs. Regis Prograis card. His next opponent is currently unknown.

About the author

Jaren covers MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of over a year and also writes for FanSided MMA and BetSided.

Jaren is a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Media with high distinction from Butler University in 2023 and chose a field that interests him the most to begin his professional journey. He has over four years of experience practicing boxing and kickboxing and is also a two-stripe Brazilian jiu-jitsu white belt.

His all-time top-five list of MMA fighters includes Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Amanda Nunes.

Jaren's first memory of becoming a fan of the sport dates back to the UFC 195 event in January 2016, which was headlined by the Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit title fight. While compiling pieces, he focuses on quality and fact-checking by going through multiple credible sources, such as UFC, Sherdog, and ESPN.

His other interests include training in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, and watching basketball and American football.

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Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta