Saturday's Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight card could be forced to go on without the presence of Mexican star Isaac Cruz.
Saturday's Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight card could be forced to go on without the presence of Mexican star Isaac Cruz.
Cruz, who previously held the WBA super lightweight title in 2024, was scheduled to rematch Angel Fierro on the Amazon Prime Video pay-per-view card, however Fierro was forced to withdraw from the bout on Friday, Ring Magazine reports.
Fierro experienced health issues during his weight cut and was advised to go to the hospital and withdraw from the Cruz bout, which was set for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
It is unclear whether Cruz will remain on the card, although it's unlikely that a replacement suitable for the pay-per-view card will step in on such short notice.
Cruz and Fierro produced a Fight of the Year contender on the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell undercard this past February, with the fan-favorite Cruz winning a unanimous decision.
Fierro was little-known to the wider audience until the fight. He had most of his recent bouts at lightweight against domestic-level fighters on Matchroom Boxing's Mexico series.
It is the second significant contest canceled this fight week in the boxing world. Austin "Ammo" Williams' IBF middleweight title final eliminator against Etinosa Oliha — scheduled for the Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez vs. Phumelele Cafu undercard on Saturday — was postponed earlier in the week after an eye issue forced Oliha out.
Category: General Sports
