The two boxers best known for giving lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis his toughest pro tests to date will square off against one another on Saturday as Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. meet in a pay-per-view clash in San Antonio.   

The interim WBC junior welterweight title bout will serve as the headline bout of a Premier Boxing Champions card (Prime Video PPV, 8 p.m. ET) from the Frost Bank Center. In the co-main event, Stephen Fulton Jr. looks for a title in a third division when he faces WBC junior lightweight champion O’Shaquie Foster.

Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs), the diminutive slugger from Mexico City, fought Davis on short notice in 2021 and largely built his professional reputation upon the strong performance he gave in a close decision loss. Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs), an amateur rival of Davis from Maryland who still holds the WBA 130-pound title, fought “Tank” on even terms in a March lightweight bout but was forced to settle for a disputed majority draw. 

Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) initially activated his immediate rematch clause with Roach until pulling out and instead signing for a November clash with YouTube star Jake Paul. That fight was canceled after Davis, who has a decorated history of legal issues, was named in a civil lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend accusing him of domestic violence. 

Cruz, 27, a former 140-pound titleholder, will be headlining his first PPV card and is expected to have the Texas crowd very much on his side. But the 30-year-old Roach, who will be moving up in weight for the second straight fight, is no stranger to playing spoiler and enters as the betting favorite for a fight in which both headliners have the opportunity to truly announce themselves as independent stars.

Where to watch Cruz vs. RoachDate: Saturday, Dec. 6 | Location: Frost Bank Center — San Antonio, TexasStart time: 8 p.m. ETStreaming: Prime Video PPV | Price: $74.99

 “I could have never imagined five years ago when I was fighting in San Antonio that I’d be here now, but this is the fruits of my hard work,” Cruz said at Thursday’s final press conference. “I want to keep progressing and evolving and doing big things. I know what my fans expect of me, and I’ve done everything I could in training camp to deliver.

“I hope [Roach] doesn’t run. It’s all about the fans and they want to see us go toe-to-toe. I’ll be ready to go for as long as he’s able to withstand the pressure.”

Many in boxing believe Roach was robbed out of a second title in as many divisions against Davis, not just by the divisive scorecards but due to a voluntary knee “Tank” took in Round 9 that was incorrectly not ruled a knockdown by referee Steve Willis and would’ve resulted in a Roach upset win. Yet, Roach never harped one bit on the controversy, even during the immediate post-fight interview, and has kept an even keel about the experience that fuels him entering the Cruz fight. 

“It gets to a point where I’m very accepting. I had been through things in life that were similar or worse,” Roach told CBS Sports on Tuesday, looking back at the Davis fight. “It’s alright. I know that me doing what I have to do, me continuing on the path that I’m on, everything is going to be OK. I can’t dwell on the past, it just don’t work like that. It’s not going to change anything. The only way you get better is to learn and move on. 

“I consider that a bump and bruise on my path. It brought a little light and that’s all I needed. Now we are advancing and getting bigger and getting better.”

Roach said a victory over Cruz could lift him to any number of marquee fights across the 135 and 140-pound divisions. Cruz, meanwhile, believes the winner of Saturday’s fight should draw the winner of the Jan. 31 bout between WBO junior welterweight titleholder Teofimo Lopez Jr. and three-division champion Shakur Stevenson. 

Either way, the stakes are high in a fight that is expected to be contested at a high pace, featuring a mixture of technical boxing and two-way skirmishes. 

Cruz, whose constant forward pressure gave Davis fits, has a style that all but guarantees an exciting fight but he can also box, when needed. Roach, a natural counterpuncher who will bring a height and reach advantage against Cruz, proved against Davis that he can also stand and trade in the trenches when needed. 

“I’m just excited to show off my skills. Nothing’s changed. We’re here to boogie,” Roach said. “Everybody knows I like to throw. There’s gonna be some moments where the cameras better be ready. He’s throwing missiles in there and I’m gonna throw them back. We know what kind of fight Pitbull will bring, but we’ll be ready for everything. Anyone who’s watched me knows that I can adapt to anything.”

The undercard was expected to feature a middleweight title unification between WBC champion Erislandy Lara and WBA and IBF titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly. However, Alimkhanuly tested positive for banned substance melondium during fight week and was removed from the bout. In his place steps Johan Gonzalez, a veteran of 40 pro fights who is coming off a split decision win over former junior middleweight titleholder Jarrett Hurd earlier this year. Lara, 42, is on one of the best runs of his career with six straight wins dating back to 2019. His last appearance came in September 2024 when he stopped former champion Danny Garcia in the ninth round.

Below is the complete PPV fight card for Saturday night in San Antonio with the latest odds.

Cruz vs. Roach fight card, odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Lamont Roach Jr. -235 vs. Isaac Cruz (c) +180, interim WBC junior welterweight titleStephen Fulton -115 vs. O’Shaquie Foster (c) -110, WBC junior lightweight titleErislandy Lara (c) -700 vs. Johan Gonzalez +450, WBC middleweight titleJesus Ramos -1400 vs. Shane Mosley Jr. +700, junior middleweights