Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. - Isaac Cruz (21-1-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico City earned a unanimous decision victory over Argentina’s Matias Romero (24-1, 8 KOs) in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator. It marked the first time that the 22-year-old Cruz went 12 rounds in his professional career.

The judges’ scorecards read 114-113, 115-112 and 118-109. SHOWTIME’s unofficial scorer Steve Farhood scored the fight 115-112, giving rounds 10 through 12 to the rising star.

Throughout the 36-minute affair, Cruz constantly applied pressure against his opponent which led to Romero, the more seasoned professional, to hold excessively in an attempt to stall the pressure. Despite being warned frequently by referee Harvey Dock, the 24-year-old Romero was never penalized.

During the rough-and-tumble contest, however, Cruz was docked a point in the sixth round for a low blow.

Romero presented an effective jab throughout the fight, landing 89 of 282, but it was Cruz’s power punching that ultimately earned him the victory. Cruz, who is now the No. 1 contender for a world title shot at 135 pounds, landed 145 of 459 power punches, including 91 body shots.

“Obviously I’m not happy with the decision,” stated Romero following his first professional loss.

“I thought maybe it was a draw. Overall I’m happy with my performance. He’s supposed to the be the ‘Pit Bull’ and I went the distance. You have to take the opportunities when they are presented and I wish I would have had more time to get ready for this fight.”