Boxing News Boxing News
Banner Promotions president Art Pelullo and Golden Gloves president Rodney Berman won the purse bid for the vacant IBF Featherweight world championship fight between Cristobal Cruz and Orlando Salido.
Cristobal Cruz of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, has a professional record of 36-11-1 with 23 knockouts. He is ranked number three by the IBF in the featherweight division, and is the former WBC Continental Americas, WBC FECARBOX and WBC CABOFE Featherweight Champion.
He recently won the IBO Featherweight world title from defending champion Thomas Mashaba of Soweto, South Africa. Cruz broke the Compubox record for the number of punches thrown in a featherweight bout in the fight, which was the main event of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on March 7, 2008, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Orlando Salido of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico has a record of 31-9-2 with 20 knockouts. A 12-year professional veteran, he is the IBF’s number two ranked featherweight contender and has faced some of the toughest competition in the 126 pound division.
He lost a 12 round decision against the universally recognized featherweight world champion, Juan Manuel Marquez. After that, Salido went on to defeat Robert Guerrero for the IBF Featherweight world title, but the decision was changed to a no contest. This is Orlando’s chance to gain back the IBF Featherweight world title.
