Overview

• Ángel “Tashiro” Fierro was hospitalized on July 18 after severe dehydration during his weight cut forced him to withdraw from the scheduled rematch with Cruz.
• Omar Salcido, originally on the undercard, stepped in on hours’ notice and made weight at 139.4 pounds to keep Cruz on the Pacquiao-Barrios card.
• Cruz controlled the 10-round contest, earning unanimous scores of 99-89, 99-89 and 100-88 to overwhelm his improvised opponent.
• The victory awards Cruz the interim WBC super lightweight belt and bolsters his position in the division’s top rankings.
• Promoters and the boxing community are now eyeing a full world title opportunity for Cruz while tracking Fierro’s health and recovery.