Steve Cruz

Last updated
Steve Cruz
Born
Estevan Cruz Jr.

(1963-11-02) November 2, 1963 (age 61)
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesStevie, Super Kid
Statistics
Weight(s) Featherweight
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Reach68 in (173 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights45
Wins37
Wins by KO19
Losses8

Steve "Stevie" Cruz (born November 2, 1963) is a retired American professional boxer who became the WBA World Featherweight Champion on June 23, 1986. His trainer for much of his career was Don Gorman. [1]

Contents

Early life and amateur career

Cruz, who is of Mexican descent was born of modest means in a barrio on the south side of Fort Worth, Texas on November 2, 1963. He graduated from Trimble Technical High School. [2] Fairly early in his career, Cruz was trained and managed by Don Gorman, who operated the influential Gorman Gym in Fort Worth. Donald Curry, who was once the undisputed world welterweight champion and would take the WBC super welterweight title in 1988, also trained at the Gorman Gymnasium. [3]

An exceptional amateur, Cruz won the 1979 National Junior Olympic Gold Medal at 112 pounds and the 1981 National Golden Gloves title at 119 pounds. He was also a three-time Fort Worth Golden Gloves champion and a two-time Star-Telegram Texas Golden Gloves champion. He gained the nickname "Super Kid".

Cruz turned professional in 1981, and won his first nineteen fights between October 1981 and February 1984, fighting almost exclusively in Texas, with a few bouts in Las Vegas.

Professional career

Early professional career highlights

On October 22, 1982, Cruz defeated Nicky Perez at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Coliseum before 2,700 fans in a ten-round unanimous decision. It was Cruz's first main event fight and his first full ten-rounder. He commented that he mostly counterpunched and felt somewhat tired by the end of the tenth. [4] Perez would take the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Super Featherweight title in his career. On November 9, Cruz would defeat Perez again in a ten-round unanimous points decision in Las Vegas. Cruz knocked Perez to the mat in the seventh and ninth rounds. [5]

Cruz suffered one of his very few early career knockout losses to Lenny Valdez in Las Vegas in a first-round TKO, only 2:21 into the first round.

On December 3, 1985, Cruz defeated Tommy Cordova at the Showboat Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, in a ninth-round technical knockout. Cordova was down twice in the eighth and once in the ninth. Using hard rights, body shots, and an explosive left jab, Cruz sent Cordova to the mat three times in the bout and gave him a considerable beating. Cordova was down twice in the eighth, first from a left, and then from a right to the body. The bout was stopped by the referee, 2:32 into the ninth round, after Cordova had been down once, and then nearly fell again. [6] The bout was featured on ESPN in some markets. [7] Two months earlier, on September 25, 1985, Cordova had unexpectedly lost to Baby Joe Ruelaz, having had trouble making weight and needing to lose eight pounds quickly. [8]

On February 7, 1986, Cruz defeated Jorge "Rocky" Garcia in Las Vegas in a ten-round mixed decision. Garcia was a powerful puncher with a large percentage of wins by knockout.

Taking the WBA World Featherweight Championship, June 1986

Cruz won the World Boxing Association (WBA) and lineal featherweight title by defeating Barry McGuigan on June 23, 1986 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, in a 15-round unanimous decision before 10,200 fans. Cruz's win was something of an upset, as he was a replacement for the injured Fernando Sosa. [9] The bout was a grueling, fast-paced brawl in the sweltering 110-degree heat of the outdoor ring. Another factor in the upset was that Cruz was rated only the ninth featherweight in the world by the WBA; McGuigan led the early betting 6 to 1. McGuigan hit the canvas three times, twice in the final fifteenth round from a furious assault by Cruz. After the bout, McGuigan was hospitalized overnight for a mild concussion, and was also affected by severe dehydration from the excessive heat in the arena. [10] [11] The bout was proclaimed The Ring magazine's 1986 Fight of the Year. [12] Cruz received some training guidance for the bout with McGuigan from Don Gorman, who had him spar with one of his trainees, Troy Dorsey, future 1991 International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Featherweight Champion. Dorsey's aggressive style was similar to McGuigan's, and may have aided Cruz in his upset win. [13]

On November 21, 1986, Cruz defeated Mexican boxer Roger Arevalo in a ten-round points decision at Fort Worth, Texas. Arevalo would later take the Mexican Superfeatherweight title. Cruz took around $20,000 for the bout, a modest sum for a world champion. [1]

Losing the World Featherweight Championship, March 1987

Cruz lost the Featherweight Championship in his first defense to Venezuelan Antonio Esparragoza, the number one-rated challenger, at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth on March 6, 1987 in a twelfth-round technical knockout (TKO). Esparragoza floored Cruz twice in the twelfth round. [14] The Associated Press had Esparragoza winning seven rounds to four for Cruz when the fight was stopped at 2:28 of the twelfth round. It was only Cruz's second defeat in 29 recorded bouts. [15]

Taking the WBC Continental Americas Featherweight Championship, May 1989

On June 14, 1988, Cruz took the World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental America's Featherweight title against Alfred Rangel in a fifth-round technical knockout at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. On August 12 of that year, he defended the title against Fred Adams in Pasadena, Texas, winning in a fourth-round knockout.

On May 14, 1989, he defeated future champion Tracy Harris Patterson in a ten-round split decision at the Trump Plaza Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Cruz floored Patterson in the final minute of the eighth round with a left hook, though Patterson was up at the count of three. Cruz dominated the ninth and tenth rounds and won the bout in the decision of two of the three judges. Patterson was the adopted son of Floyd Patterson, former heavyweight champion, who was in his corner. [16]

Challenging for the IBF Featherweight title, August 1989

Cruz challenged for the IBF Featherweight title on August 6, 1989 by taking on Jorge Páez, but lost in a twelfth-round unanimous decision in El Paso, Texas. Cruz caught Páez in the middle of the second round with a right that floored him. Paez took a standing eight count and continued the bout. It was the first time Paez had been knocked down in his career. [17]

On March 31, 1991, Cruz took on Rafael Ruelas at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas before a crowd of 800 in a North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title match, losing by knockout 57 seconds into the third round. Cruz went down four times, three times in the second. Ruelas, with a significant five-inch advantage in height and reach, had been undefeated prior to meeting him. [18]

Last shot at WBC World Featherweight title and last competitive bouts

On April 25, 1992, Cruz took on WBC featherweight title holder English boxer Paul Hodkinson, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but lost by a TKO in the 3rd. Hodkinson floored him with a left hook thirty-five seconds into the third round causing the referee to stop the bout. Though Cruz rose from the knockdown, the referee determined he was having trouble seeing. [19] It was Cruz's last attempt at the WBC World Featherweight title. [20] [21] After a second-round knockout loss to Yuji Wantanabe in Tokyo, Japan on August 10, 1992, Cruz won two more bouts, with Vicent Castillo and Robert Challa in Fort Worth, before retiring in December 1993.

Life outside boxing

Cruz was working in 1987 as a plumber's apprentice in Fort Worth for Rivera Plumbing, though he had already taken the World Featherweight Championship in 1986. He was living modestly in a three-bedroom house with his wife and extended family. He had hopes of earning a plumber's journeyman's license. [1]

Professional boxing record

45 fights37 wins8 losses
By knockout195
By decision183
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
45Win37–8Roberto ChalaUD101993-12-18Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
44Win36–8Vicente CastilloPTS61993-06-26Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
43Loss35–8Yuji WatanabeKO2 (10), 2:501992-08-10Japan
42Loss35–7 Paul Hodkinson TKO3 (12), 1:051992-04-25Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.For WBC Featherweight title
41Loss35–6 Rafael Ruelas KO3 (12), 0:571991-03-31 Sands Hotel and Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For NABF Featherweight title
40Win35–5Benito RodriguezPTS101990-09-25San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
39Loss34–5 Manuel Medina UD101990-07-08 Hilton Hotel Las Vegas, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
38Win34–4Ricky AlvarezTKO10 (10), 1:201990-01-08Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
37Loss33–4 Jorge Páez UD121989-08-06El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, U.S.For IBF Featherweight title
36Win33–3 Tracy Harris Patterson SD101989-05-14Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
35Win32–3Martin GalvanTKO7 (10), 0:171988-12-09 El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, U.S.
34Win31–3Amos CowartTKO1 (10), 1:311988-09-30Citrus Center Showcase, Winter Haven, Florida, U.S.
33Win30–3Fred AdamsKO4 (12)1988-08-12Convention Center, Pasadena, Texas, U.S.Retained WBC Continental Americas featherweight title
32Win29–3Alfred RangelTKO5 (12)1988-06-14 Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.Won WBC Continental Americas Featherweight title
31Loss28–3Jeff FranklinUD101987-12-18 Bally's Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
30Win28–2Rogelio LopezTKO7 (10), 0:101987-08-16 Billy Bob's Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
29Loss27–2 Antonio Esparragoza TKO12 (12)1987-03-06Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Lost WBA &The Ring featherweight titles
28Win27–1Roger ArevaloSD101986-11-21Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
27Win26–1 Barry McGuigan UD151986-06-23 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won WBA & The Ring featherweight titles
26Win25–1Rocky GarciaMD101986-02-07Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
25Win24–1Tommy CordovaTKO9 (10), 2:321985-12-03Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
24Win23–1Juan VelozUD101985-06-22 Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
23Win22–1Jerome BrooksTKO3 (8), 0:101985-05-28Gorman's Super Pro Gym, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
22Win21–1Jesus LopezTKO10 (10), 1:571984-12-15 Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
21Win20–1Salvador UgaldeUD101984-06-16Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
20Loss19–1Lenny ValdezTKO1 (10), 1:211984-03-29Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
19Win19–0Victor AcostaMD101984-02-21 Hyatt Regency Dallas, Dallas, Texas, U.S.
18Win18–0Dana RostonUD101984-01-20Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
17Win17–0Nicky PerezUD101983-11-09Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
16Win16–0Angel HernandezTKO1 (10)1983-10-13Registry Hotel Crystal Ballroom, Dallas, Texas, U.S.
15Win15–0Salvador UgaldeUD81983-08-25Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
14Win14–0Jose ResendezPTS81983-07-28 Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
13Win13–0Ray GarzaUD81983-07-15Guys & Dolls Club, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
12Win12–0Nicky PerezUD101982-10-22Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
11Win11–0Javier BarajasUD81982-08-01Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
10Win10–0Eddie RichardsonKO1 (10), 2:231982-07-14Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
9Win9–0Andrew RodriguezTKO2 (8), 2:221982-06-26Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
8Win8–0Carlos FloresPTS81982-04-09Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
7Win7–0Richard FowlerTKO2 (6), 1:201982-03-10 Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
6Win6–0Juan Carlos BarbosaTKO1 (6), 2:011982-02-26 Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
5Win5–0Ali AkarKO2 (6)1982-02-13 Beaumont Civic Center, Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
4Win4–0Jesse SierraTKO5 (6)1982-01-15Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
3Win3–0Ricky CortezKO1 (6)1981-12-15 Civic Center, Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
2Win2–0Homero GonzalezTKO1 (6)1981-12-02 Laredo, Texas, U.S.
1Win1–0Pascual ArandaTKO1 (4), 1:511981-10-29 Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Daugherty, Paul, "Steve Cruz: A Champion With Fast Fists, No Fortune", News Press, Fort Myers, Florida, pg. 82, 19 February 1987
  2. ↑ He was born in a Barrio, Daugherty, Paul, "Steve Cruz: A Champion With Fast Fists, No Fortune", News Press, Fort Myers, Florida, pg. 82, 19 February 1987
  3. ↑ Wright, Rick, "Cordova Fights for Survival as Pro", Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, pg. 29, 3 December 1985
  4. ↑ "Steve Cruz Decisions Tucson's Nicky Perez", The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Arizona, pg. 67, 24 October 1982
  5. ↑ Javier Morales, "Nicky Perez Ends Four Year Layoff Tonight Against Medina", The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Arizona, pg. 30, 27 May 1987
  6. ↑ Wright, Rick, "Cordova Defeated in Ninth Round TKO", Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, pg. 35, 4 December 1985
  7. ↑ "Tuesday Evening Television", Herald and Review, Decatur, Illinois, pg. 72, 1 December 1985
  8. ↑ Wright, Rick, Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, pg. 21, 25 November 1985
  9. ↑ "Cruz Looking to Learn", Northwest Herald, Woodstock, Illinois, pg. 22, 6 March 1987
  10. ↑ McGuigan was dehydrated severely in "Small Boxers Look Large As they Enter the Hall of Fame", Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, pg. 149, 14 January 2005
  11. ↑ Sneddon, Steve, "Battered, Proud McGuigan Keeps Wit About Him", Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno, Nevada, pg. 17, 25 June 1986
  12. ↑ Sneddon, Steve, Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno, Nevada, pg. 9, 24 June 1986
  13. ↑ Gustkey, Earl, "Boxing", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 865, 11 August 1991
  14. ↑ "Champ Loses", The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Florida, pg. 23, 8 March 1987
  15. ↑ "Esparragoza Topples Cruz", Galveston Daily News, Galveston, Texas, pg. 23, 8 March 1987
  16. ↑ "Boxing, Patterson Loses", The Journal News, White Plains, New York, pg. 30, 15 May 1989
  17. ↑ "Sports World, Boxing", Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, pg. 43, 7 August 1989
  18. ↑ "Ruelas Makes Short Work of Cruz in Las Vegas", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 42, 1 April 1991
  19. ↑ "Boxing", The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, pg. 33, 26 April 1992
  20. ↑ "Sportscope, Etcetera", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, pg. 20, 26 April 1992
  21. ↑ Knockout down occurred 35 seconds into third, in "Sport Stops", Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pg. 87, 27 April 1992
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