Isaac Cruz stuns Mattice to win majority decision

PHILADELPHIA – Unbeaten defeated lightweight prospect Thomas Mattice in a closely contested majority decision win in the ShoBox main event Friday night at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pa.

Cruz (19-1-1, 14 KO's), 21, of Mexico City, poured the pressure on Mattice throughout the bout, neutralized his jab, and took home the victory. The judges scored the fight 95-95 and 96-94 twice, but Cruz thought the bout was much wider.

“I thought I won all 10 rounds. I don’t know what fight the judges were watching,” Cruz said. “Round 1 to 10 I dominated and I was never hurt.”

Cruz, who stands 5’4” ½ to Mattice's 5’8” ½, brought the fight to his foe from the onset. According to Compubox, Cruz outlanded Mattice, who is generally a slow starter, 49-15 in the first two rounds, including 39-8 in power punch connects.

Mattice took full responsibility for the loss.

“I came up short,” said Mattice. “He was the better man. He could hit a little bit. I started out a little slow, trying to see what he had. He jumped out to an early lead and I was just trying to get familiar with his power. I have no excuses. He was the better man tonight.”

In the chief support bout, Ra’eese Aleem (16-0, 10 KO's) burst onto the scene in his national television debut, putting on a boxing clinic by scoring a fourth-round TKO in a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight bout over San Antonio’s Adam Lopez (19-4-2, 9 KO's).