What Happened To Angel Fierro And Why Did He Withdraw From His Bout With Isaac Pitbull Cruz?

Angel Fierro gets hospitalized ahead of his scheduled fight against Isaac Cruz on the undercard of Manny Pacquio!

Boxing fans know that sometimes the most anticipated fights fall apart at the worst possible moments. The sport has seen its share of last minute cancellations, but they never get easier to swallow for fighters or fans alike.

Angel Fierro and Isaac Cruz had already given boxing enthusiasts one hell of a show earlier this year. Their February clash was the kind of Mexican warrior battle that makes fans forget to blink. Cruz won that first encounter through a close unanimous decision, but it was the type of fight that screamed for a sequel. Both fighters brought non stop action and neither took a backward step for ten brutal rounds. The rematch was supposed to happen on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios pay per view event in Las Vegas. Fans were ready for another war between these two 140 pound gladiators.

What Happened To Angel Fierro?

Things started going sideways for Fierro during what should have been routine preparation. Weight cutting is boxing’s necessary evil and every fighter knows it. But that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Fierro ran into serious health problems while trying to make the 140 pound limit for his rematch with Cruz. His trainer Robert Garcia made the tough call that probably saved his fighter’s career, if not his life.

Angel Fierro has been forced to withdraw from Saturday’s rematch with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, sources told The Ring's @MikeCoppinger.

The 140lbs fight was scheduled for the Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios PPV undercard in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/1gHPxj3iYA
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 18, 2025

Garcia pulled the plug on Friday morning after watching Fierro struggle through what was becoming a dangerous situation. The trainer explained that cutting those final few pounds would have put his fighter at serious risk. It’s never an easy decision for a trainer to make, especially with a big fight and payday on the line. Garcia took full responsibility for the withdrawal and issued a public apology to everyone involved; the fans who traveled to Vegas, Cruz and his team, and the entire event.

The health scare was serious enough that Fierro needed hospital observation. While the exact details of his condition weren’t made public, weight cutting complications can range from severe dehydration to kidney problems or worse. Garcia’s quick thinking likely prevented a much more serious situation from developing.

What Does This Means For Both Fighters

Isaac Cruz didn’t let the last minute change derail his plans completely. The former WBA junior welterweight champion stayed on the card and will face replacement opponent Omar Salcido instead. Cruz has been looking to bounce back after losing his title to Jose Valenzuela in a split decision last August. At 27 years old, he’s still in his prime and needs to stay active to work his way back to another title shot.

⚖️ Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz vs Omar Salcido weigh-in results:

🇲🇽 Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz – 138.8lbs
🇲🇽 Omar Salcido – 139.4lbs

✅ All set for their 10-round 'interim' WBC super-lightweight title fight tomorrow night after Salcido stepped in to replace Angel Fierro earlier today. pic.twitter.com/ebQcNNXDhD
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 18, 2025

For Fierro, this setback represents more than just a missed payday. The 26 year old Mexican fighter has never challenged for a world title, and big opportunities like this don’t come around every day. Missing out on a high profile rematch on a Pacquiao undercard is the kind of thing that can set a career back months or even years. However, his health had to come first, and Garcia made the right call.

Angel Fierro

Isaac Cruz

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!