By Norm Frauenheim-
Leo Santa Cruz is known for volume. In boxing speak, that means one thing. Translation: Lots of punches. But the traditional definition applies to Cruz, too. To wit: Call up Pharrell Williams song, Happy, and turn it up.
In a sport often known for angry lyrics, Cruz is a happy warrior. Williams’ hit could accompany him on his walk to the ring.
Happy, happy, happy. It’s what he hopes for the fans and it’s what he hopes for himself in a career that some believe is destined make everybody happy.
Cruz, who has the sport’s best smile since Manny Pacquiao stepped through the ropes and into stardom, is anxious to please the customers on the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana undercard on Sept. 13 against Manuel Roman in a bout he hopes will propel him to new heights.
In about six months since his last fight, Cruz has been trying on new tactics. The lesson plan, he said in a conference call, is to adjust to fighters who have increasingly employed movement as a way to avoid his buzz-saw rate of stinging punches.
“I think that, before, I was knocking out people and everything, but I think that it was their styles,’’ said Cruz, (27-0, 15 KOs)a former bantamweight champion who will defend his super-bantamweight title for the fourth time at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand on a Showtime pay-per-view card. “I was never really used to fighters that box a little bit more. I wasn’t used to those kinds of styles, you know, running and boxing.
“But, now, we’re working on that in the gym. We’ve been fighting boxers that move a lot and we’ve been chasing them. So I think that we’re getting used to them and we’re going to be able to start doing what we were doing before.’’
There’s criticism of the bout with Roman (17-2-3, 15 KO), who is not considered a threat. Roman, who is 3-2-2 over his last seven bouts, is not ranked among the top 10 in any of the ratings. Roman is a former sparring partner for Cruz. Their familiarity, Cruz says, will make the fight more interesting. Roman knows him and his weaknesses. He’ll be good test of what Cruz is attempting to add to his skillset.
“On paper, they might say this is not a tough fight, but I’ve known Roman since the amateurs, and he was really good in the amateurs,’’ Cruz said. “As a pro, too, I’ve sparred with him two or three years ago, and we used to work pretty good in the gym and we used to go to war in the gym with our sparring and everything. So, for all the people don’t know him, he has great punches and great technique and he looks good and everything.’’
Despite the criticism, the Roman bout represents an interesting steppingstone to some potential biggies. Kiki Martinez of Spain has been mentioned. Scott Quigg of the UK is a possibility. There was a lot of talk about Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton in Belfast, Frampton’s hometown
“Of course, hopefully, everything goes well and we look good in September, and then, we want to look for the harder fights,’’ said Cruz, who expects pressure to look spectacular against Roman. “We want to look for those fights that I want.’’
What he wants, above all, is a showdown with Guillermo Rigondeaux, the unbeaten Cuban who de-railed Nonito Donaire’s career. A sure preliminary is some trash talk between Rigondeaux and Cruz.
“First, I read that he thinks that fighters are running away from him, and that he said that he thought that I was scared to fight him,’’ Cruz said. “But I want to prove that I’m not scared to fight nobody. I’m here to fight the best, and if he is the best, then why not fight him. Like I’ve said, he has a hard style and everything.
“But hopefully, everything goes well on Sept. 13, and hopefully, next year, we can get a fight with Guillermo Rigondeaux and we can have a helluva fight and a helluva war out there. We know that it would be a great fight and a hard fight for me.
“I might lose, but we’ll win if we give the fans what they want.’’
Insert a Pharrell Williams lyric here. It makes for a happy ending.
