By Cliff Rold

In a thrilling Featherweight marathon of sledgehammer exchanges, Tijuana, Mexico’s Cristobal Cruz (36-11-1, 23 KO) scored perhaps a career-saving and mild upset win over Ring Magazine rated Thomas Mashaba (20-2-4, 12 KO) of South Africa on Friday night.  It was fitting farewell for the Fox Theatre at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashuntucket, Connecticut that brought the fans to their feet over and over again across its twelve violent rounds.

The Fox Theatre has been the home of such recent notable fights as Diego Corrales-Acelino Freitas and Antonio Diaz-Mickey Ward.  The bout was televised live on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.

From the opening bell, each man made clear that there was no intention of putting on a defensive clinic.  Mashaba was stunned in the opening minute by a stiff left hook; he returned the favor less than a minute later with a right hand that drove Cruz into the ropes.  It became apparent that a long night could be in store, with the fight fully settling into its rhythm in the third.

In that round, the two settled at mid-ring and fought in a circle throughout, so closely connected at the chest that they might be confused for waltz partners if not for the stream of hooks.  Mashaba landed a sharp body shot that may have strayed low but, as Cruz walked away in protest, referee Steve Smoger ruled that no foul had been committed and the action resumed.

Mashaba’s uppercut found a home late in the fourth with a body head combination that stood Cruz up momentarily.  Each man was looking to land hooks to the body, but it was Masahba who began to stake that ground definitively as his own in the fifth, using his elbows to block incoming fire while throwing around the elbows of Cruz to land echoing hooks.

So it continued.  Cruz held advantages in punches thrown, but Mashaba appeared to be landing the former blows.  As the fight wore on, Mashaba was able to insert his jab as a dramatic factor as well, smashing straight lefts into Cruz’s face and opening up room for his long right hand.  The fight may have been easier had he elected to use it a bit more but Mashaba was comfortable warring instead.  It cost him.

A terrific ninth round featured more non-stop punching and some of the hardest shots of the night.  Mashaba stunned Cruz as the round closed and one could wonder if the end may be near.

It was not.

Cruz came roaring out to begin the tenth and stunting any opportunity Mashaba may have thought he had at the opening bell.  The two settled back into the trenches over the remainder of the tenth and through the eleventh, each looking for the opening that would finally put them over the top.

Cruz almost found it in a scorching final frame.  He landed a sneaky left hook that sent a tremor through Mashaba from head to toe.  Cruz pushed forward, throwing hooks and overhand rights in pursuit of the knockout while Masahaba covered up to weather the storm.  In the final minute of the bout, the storm had passed and Mashaba, with his legs back under him, planted and began firing back with aplomb again.  Down the stretch they came, neither giving quarter until the bell rang to end their assignment.

It was down to the judges who ultimately favored Cruz’s aggression and incredible 1,500 plus punches thrown in a narrow majority decision by scores of 114-114, and 115-113 (twice).  The joy in Cruz’s corner was equal to the misery expressed on the face of Mashaba but it was a fight where neither man needed to hang their head.  It was a valiant effort all around.

On the televised undercard, controversy reigned in an otherwise entertaining and workmanlike struggle between undefeated Jr. Middleweight Jason LeHoullier (21-0-1, 8 KO) and Jose Luis Gonzalez.  The bout was ruled a draw, but the action favored Gonzalez strongly and the decision was booed loudly.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com