Isaac Cruz vs Nestor Bravo: An Exclusive Look Inside The Final Press Conference

MISSION VALLEY, Calif.– It was a beautiful day in San Diego County on Thursday as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and TGB Promotions hosted the final press conference for Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KOs) vs. Nestor Bravo (24-1, 17 KOs), with Saturday night’s fight live from the Pechanga Arena exclusively on DAZN. Here is an inside look at the press conference in case you missed it.

Arriving 40 minutes before the start of the presser at the Courtyard by Marriott in Mission Valley, the first thing I noticed was a mob of people in the lobby. The crowd included media, fighters, managers, tech workers, and more. From the lobby, I saw it was one of the smaller rooms I’ve been to for a press conference, as TGB and PBC went “lean and mean” with the space for this presser.

It makes sense to do it that way, as the names on this card aren’t likely to draw a ton of media. However, Pitbull Cruz’s name did attract ESPN Deportes and other Spanish-language news outlets, along with traditional media, a few social media aggregators, and personalities. Before going into the room, I picked up a box lunch (sandwich, fruit, cookies, and chips) and walked into the conference room to find my seat.

The room was packed with people and cameras, so no space was wasted when Chris Mannix began the press conference. By the way, shout-out to whoever it was that had their cell phone ring not once but twice, as if after the first time, they didn’t get the hint to silence their phone or put it on vibrate.

Once the presser kicked off, the fighters were mostly complimentary toward each other; definitely respectful. The temperature in the room turned up when Jesus Ramos Jnr (24-1, 19 KOs) grabbed the mic and said, “Nursultanov is brave for taking this fight off of a layoff. I’m not the same fighter I was three years ago. I’m gonna show him that it’s not that easy on Saturday night.” Ramos Jnr, as the younger generation says these days, is “about that action,” and that certainly set the tone for the main event fighters Cruz and Bravo.

Bravo went first and said, “Saturday night you’re gonna see what Nestor Bravo is about. If you don’t know me, then you’re gonna know me for sure after Saturday night.” Cruz followed it by ensuring this fight will give the pound-of-flesh fans will be looking for on Saturday night in San Diego, in what will be a pro-Mexican crowd. “This is a new era for Pitbull Cruz,” he said. “I can guarantee that the fans are going to get their money’s worth on Saturday night.”

Once the press conference was over and all the pictures were taken, what I appreciated most was that the fighters stuck around for interviews. This isn’t always the case, and I’ve attended quite a few press conferences where the fighters exited stage left, leaving the media with only the press notes to work with. I get it; they are cutting weight and don’t want to be there any longer, but those extra 20 minutes can be the difference between a successful event and one that doesn’t bring any awareness. That extra time today will be well spent, and the event will pick up more steam by the time we arrive on Saturday night.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is a 2x award-winning writer, International Boxing Hall of Fame voter, founder and publisher of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms, including online, network TV, and promotional companies. He is an alumnus of an American Public University and a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, and contributed to The Ring Magazine, FanSidedMMA, and ProBoxTV.

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