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KENT CRUZ: "I'M READY TO SHOW WHO I AM...I HAVE TO DELIVER NOW"

By Percy Crawford | September 22, 2016
KENT CRUZ:

"They say you are who you fought, so I felt like with this fight, I'll get a little more respect. I got a lot more eyes on me now and I'm ready to show who I am. This is the beginning. I have to deliver now...I want to get right back to it. I'm still young. I want to finish the year out with 2 more fights. Close the year out at 13-0 and end it with a bang," stated fast-rising jr. welterweight Kent Cruz, who talked about his latest win, his future plans, and more. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on your win over previously unbeaten Rickey Edwards. How do you feel about your performance?

KC: Thank you! I feel great, man. We did everything that we prepared to do. We wanted to take charge early and show what we can do and that's what we did; pretty much everything we said we were going to do.

PC: Were you able to watch a lot of footage of Edwards prior to this fight?

KC: He had one fight we looked at. I did study that fight and see what he did. He never really impressed me when I was watching him fight. I felt like it was a perfect step up fight for me to take. We knew a fight like this, with it being nationally televised, was the perfect fight for me to show my skills.

PC: It's rare you'll see a guy your height at this weight class, yet you made everything come together for you. Talk us through what was going on in there.

KC: I never really have problems with tall fighters, believe it or not. I enjoy fighting them. It seems a little easier for me. I like throwing a lot of right hands over the top, as you can tell, and jabs to the body, so with tall lanky guys like myself, I can kind of bend my knees a little bit and get in position to go down to the body and then come over the top. It worked beautifully, man.

PC: When you put him down in the 2nd round, you didn't go crazy and blow yourself out. Did you just realize he wasn't hurt badly enough for you to go in to take him out?

KC: I'm just trying to mature in my career, man, and be patient. I didn't want to gas myself out, although I was in great shape. I just didn't want to make no rookie mistakes and throw a bunch of wild punches because all it takes is one shot in this game for you to get hurt. So I was trying to take my time and put my shots together, but he did pretty good. He survived, he held, he did what he had to do to go the full 8 rounds. We were trying to get him out of there. I wanted to finish the fight. I wanted to look even more impressive than what I did. It's nothing like a stoppage. That's what everybody wants.

PC: And you didn't get credit for one of your knockdowns either.

KC: Exactly. I went back and re-watched the knockdown and he actually went down and took a knee and I guess the referee called it a slip. I didn't get that part. I wasn't too happy with the refereeing, but it's all good.

PC: You hurt him a couple of times during the course of the fight. At any point, did you think you could get him out of there?

KC: I was planning on getting the W no matter how it came. But I did want to hurt him. I did want to get him out of there. I thought it was going to be a matter of time, but I take my hat off to him. He was in great shape. To take shots like that, you gotta be in great condition. If your body can respond like that to big shots, he prepared good.

PC: That was your first 8-rounder. How did you feel?

KC: Ah man, it felt wonderful, man. I was supposed to fight on the 12th of August and that fight got cancelled. The guy pulled out, so I never really stop training. We got this date. So I had a pretty long camp. I was training for about 2 months, 3 months. I had guys keep pulling out, so I just stayed in the gym. I think all young fighters should stay in the gym and be ready because you can get that phone call any time. I felt good. I went 8 rounds with a guy 11-0. My team was ready and we did it.

PC: Your first televised fight against an undefeated guy and you looked good in getting the win. How important was all of those factors for you?

KC: I was ready to show the world and I felt like what other way on a nationally televised bout and my first 8-rounder. I told myself this is it, this is what I've always wanted to do as a kid and it's no time to hold back. I wanted to go in there, stay relaxed, and have fun. That's the key to boxing. A lot of people get worried when the lights come on. You can't let that take you out of your game. You just have to relax and have fun and I fought my fight.

PC: It's always a great feeling to take someone's 0 off of their record. What was that feeling like to be the first one to defeat Edwards?

KC: That's huge, man. It's part of the game. It's nothing like taking somebody's 0. If you look at my record, I mostly fought here in Missouri and I didn't fight any killers. They probably took me light like, "This kid can't fight. Who has he fought?" They say you are who you fought, so I felt like with this fight, I'll get a little more respect. I got a lot more eyes on me now and I'm ready to show who I am. This is the beginning. I have to deliver now.

PC: What next for you?

KC: I'm actually getting right back in the gym. I'll take this week off and I'm right back and hopefully be back in there early or late October. I want to get right back to it. I'm still young. I want to finish the year out with 2 more fights. Close the year out at 13-0 and end it with a bang. I want to give a special shout out to my promoter as well, King's Promotions and Marshall Kaufmann. He's the one that got me this fight.

PC: It was great seeing you on that big stage. Best of luck moving forward and we will be in touch. Is there anything else you want to add?

KC: Thanks a lot for having me, man. I'm just looking forward to big things for Team Cruz and representing St. Louis and all of the Puerto Ricans and Rhode Island. This is just the beginning.



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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