Salinas’ Villa earns unanimous decision – Monterey Herald

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS — Ruben Villa is one step closer to fighting for a world boxing title.

The Salinas native moved into the No. 1 contender’s spot in the World Boxing Council’s featherweight division after a unanimous 10-round decision Saturday for Christian Cruz of Mexico.

The win improved the 26-year-old Alvarez High graduates professional record to 22-1 after outscoring Cruz 98-92, 98-92, 97-3.

Villa’s only professional loss in his career came in 2020 when he fought for a WBC title. The two-time National Golden Gloves champions is 4-0 since that setback, with two of those wins coming in the state of Texas.

Villa consistently scored points with his jab, dominating the later rounds. His last three fights have resulted in two 10 round and one eight round unanimous decisions.

Cruz, who came into the fight with half of his 22 wins being knockouts, fell to 22-7-1.