Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz vs. Lamont Roach Jr. Keys to Victory: Breaking down tactics of each fighter

Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz promises he will be “ready for whatever” style Lamont Roach Jr. presents.

Roach Jr. vows to "tame" ‘Pitbull' and his pressure.

These are the makings of what could be an explosive fight Saturday night when Cruz puts his WBC interim super lightweight world title on the line against Roach Jr. in a pay-per-view headliner, live from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs) snatched the WBC interim 140-pound title by blasting Omar Salcido via unanimous decision in July. Roach Jr. (25-1-2, 10 KOs) last fought Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis to a controversial majority draw that many felt ‘The Reaper’ did enough to win.

Will Cruz’ forward-fighting force overwhelm and exterminate Roach Jr.? Or will Roach Jr. notch the win that sends his star power into an upward trajectory for 2026? DAZN News analyzes the Keys to Victory for both ‘Pitbull’ Cruz and Roach Jr. heading into Saturday night’s main event.

Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz’ Keys to Victory

Unload battering  body shots

Part of Isaac Cruz’ potent pressure punching relies on his ability to batter the body.

‘Pitbull’ maximizes his power on these clubbing, punishing hooks to the midsection and these shots go long ways to slow opponents down over the course of a fight.

Therefore, crunching deposits to the body are a must for the interim champ.

Hook around the guard

As ‘Pitbull’ charges his way forward, cutting off the ring and forcing phone booth action, his hooks around the guard are some of his best weapons.

The power punches to the temple or across the jaw practically have the 5-foot-4 Cruz leaping off his feet to connect and leverage maximum impact.

Against a pointed marksman like Lamont Roach Jr., Cruz just must make sure that his looping hooks stay compact in their detonation.

Pressure, put Roach Jr. on the back foot

Roach Jr. is confident he can combat Cruz’ relentless pursuit with sweet science skills and grit on the inside when pushed to do so.

Well, the onus is on ‘Pitbull’ to make Roach Jr. prove it.

That means Cruz must pressure, pressure, and pressure some more, keeping his foot mashed on the pedal as he fights forward as the smothering force he is.

Putting and keeping Roach Jr. on the back foot is Cruz’ best bet to defend the interim title.

Lamont Roach Jr.’s Keys to Victory

Jab to keep ‘Pitbull’ on a leash

Isaac Cruz naturally goes gloves up and forehead tilted down while fighting forward.

The stance, although effective for the Mexican, also serves up the perfect opportunity for Lamont Roach Jr. to catch ‘Pitbull’ and keep him on a leash with a stinging jab.

With slight movements on the feet, Roach Jr. can also segue from the jab to creating angles and pot-shotting with other slashing punches that land cleanly.

Mix it up inside only in spurts

In his controversial draw with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, Roach Jr. proved he can mix it up on the inside and stand up to one of the most explosive punchers in boxing.

That should give the Washington D.C. native all the confidence needed to do the same against ‘Pitbull’, though he would be wise to get his shots off, and use his footwork to dispel Cruz’ pressure.

Doing this successfully will force and possibly frustrate the interim titleholder into constantly having to reset and work to get back inside.

Stand tall, stay sharp

Watching Roach Jr.’s growth in boxing mandates noting his abilities to operate from the outside and flash his pocket presence.

Roach Jr. will need to use both skills to sling sharp leather toward securing his biggest victory yet as a launching pad to an even more fruitful New Year.

And that entails staying sharp punch-wise and also with IQ — areas Roach Jr. vows to dazzle in toward delivering a statement victory.

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