Dangerous Mexican contender Angel “Tashiro” Fierro (23-3-2, 18 KOs) sent a direct message to his fierce rival Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (27-3-1, 18 KOs) during a tense face-off at the Los Angeles press conference in June to announce their rematch.
The Mexican enemies are set to reignite their feud on Saturday, July 19 on the undercard of Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
For the return fixture, Fierro has recruited a secret weapon to boost his shot at getting revenge over his rival.
26-year-old Fierro was decisioned by former world champion Cruz unanimously in February, and wasted no time in launching a scathing attack at Cruz, calling him an ‘ordinary fighter’.
“When I say something to him, like I did at that press conference, I follow through.
“I promised I would show him that I’m elite, and this fight will be more of the same. I have no respect for ‘Pitbull’ Cruz. He doesn’t intimidate me and he’s an ordinary fighter. He’s a human and he gets tired too. I stayed true to myself when I told him I’m coming for war.”
The biggest change for Fierro since the first showdown is the addition of famed trainer Robert Garcia, who has led his training camp and will do the same for his corner on July 19. By joining forces with Garcia, Fierro believes he’s unlocked a better version of himself that he’ll display in the rematch.
“It’s been a tough camp,” said Fierro. “I’ve never trained with this much intensity before. Robert Garcia and the whole team has been excellent. We’ve made changes to my sparring sessions and I believe we’re going to deliver a great result.
“I’ve gone through changes physically, mentally and nutritionally. It’s going to make me formidable. I’m in the best shape of my life and my diet is on point. I’m not worried about making weight and that’s how an elite fighter should come into a fight.”
The Tijuana-native’s first fight against Mexico City’s Cruz was a tale of two halves, as the more experienced fighter controlled the early rounds before Fierro began to turn the tide, outlanding his opponent 132 to 106 across the final five frames.
Fierro believes he’ll be even better on July 19, “I’ve worked on myself and correcting the mistakes I made in the first fight that would have changed the outcome. Robert Garcia is very experienced and I watched the fight with him to work on what I need to do to win this time.
“I didn’t keep my hands up 100% of the time, like I needed to. That was the main mistake at the time. ‘Pitbull’ underestimated me – and still does – but I already showed him that I’m not middling fighter. I proved I’m elite and now I’m working twice as hard.”
In addition to showing his level, Fierro believes that he took advantage of the big stage in February on the undercard of David Benavidez vs. David Morrell Jr. to show the Mexican people that he was a true contender. With that extra motivation, he’s promised to further prove that he will be the next big star to take off from the boxing-rich country.
“At the beginning of the fight, people looked at me like I was a nobody,” said Fierro. “But by the halfway point, I felt a shift, and people were already seeing me as a big-time fighter. I felt like Rocky in Russia! I proved that I’m not just a talker. I’m a true Mexican…We’re two Mexicans with pride on the line and looking to show who the next great Mexican boxing star will be. I’m fighting to bring honor to my country.”
Fierro aims to deliver even more action the second time around, and perhaps even bring back memories of his personal favorite all-Mexican rematch – Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Erik Morales II.
“You’re going to see a different ‘Tashiro’ and it’s going to be an even better war than the first one,” promised Fierro. “The fans will be on their feet from the very first round. I will beat ‘Pitbull’ – no matter what. He better prepare well and I think he will, because deep down he knows what he’s up against.”
Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com.
