“Things piss me off where someone or a member of the team says, ‘Hey, I’m a free agent now.’ And I go, ‘Good luck, mate.’ You back someone, you spend a fortune on them. Andy Cruz, great fighter, not the biggest draw in the world, but we’ve really believed in him. I just got to get over the ego of someone saying those things, and we’ll do a new deal, I’m sure,” Hearn told About Boxing in footage shared by Everything Boxing.
That frustration overlooks why Cruz may want to examine his options. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist recently told The Ring that his team wanted the best arrangement for his career, with an emphasis on securing the biggest fights.
Matchroom signed Cruz in May 2023, but Hearn rarely kept his name in circulation between appearances. During that three-year promotional cycle, the Cuban often looked like a trophy collecting dust in the company’s cabinet, brought out whenever there was a fight to sell and ignored otherwise.
The company did spend money when Cruz finally challenged Raymond Muratalla, winning the IBF purse bid with an offer of $888,888. That demonstrated financial commitment, but it also reinforced the larger issue. Cruz received the title opportunity because he forced his way into the mandatory position, not because Hearn persuaded a champion to select him voluntarily.
Matchroom also failed to exploit Cruz’s most marketable history. He defeated Keyshawn Davis four times in the amateurs, including their Olympic gold-medal bout, giving Hearn a rivalry that required little explanation. Instead of keeping that story alive and applying pressure for a professional meeting, the company allowed it to fade between appearances.
If another promoter can revive that rivalry, Cruz immediately becomes more commercially valuable than Hearn’s “not the biggest draw” description suggests.
Cruz Cannot Afford Another Slow Build
Cruz was never a conventional prospect requiring years of careful development. He turned professional at 27 after a 135-win amateur career that included Olympic gold and three world championship gold medals. He has now reached 31 with eight professional contests and only one appearance at world-title level.
His close loss to Muratalla in January has made the situation harder. Rival promoters can point to the official result while avoiding a boxer whose skill remains far greater than his commercial following.
Against Abraham Montoya in July, one month before turning 31, Cruz looked excellent while scoring a third-round stoppage. After spending too much of the Muratalla bout moving and conceding physical ground to the larger champion, he changed his approach. He planted his feet, threw combinations, and generated more leverage against Montoya.
At 130 pounds, that version of Cruz would be a serious threat to any champion in the division. He also remains capable of earning another belt at lightweight if given the right opening.
Cruz needs financial backing and influence strong enough to compensate leading fighters for accepting the risk. Seeing Shakur Stevenson and Conor Benn secure lucrative deals with Zuffa gives him another reason to test the market.
He does not possess Anthony Joshua’s enormous British following, but that should have required Matchroom to promote him more aggressively. His ability was always the product. If Hearn wants another agreement, he must show Cruz that it will produce active championship opportunities rather than occasional praise and another long wait for a mandatory shot.