CRISTOBAL CRUZ W12 (split) ORLANDO SALIDO

They say the better fighter usually wins. Not always, as we saw in the main event on the Versus network’s show on Thursday when Cristobal Cruz battled his way to a split decision win over Orlando Salido to capture the vacant IBF featherweight title.

Going into the fight, Salido, the former champion, had seemed to be the superior technician. His only loss in the last six years was on points to the masterful Juan Manuel Marquez.

Cruz has sprung upsets in the past, though, most recently when he outpointed Thomas Mashaba on Friday Night Fights. Tough, gritty and tenacious, Cruz set a CompuBox record for punches thrown in a 12-round fight when he outlasted Mashaba. He was almost as busy on Thursday night, but, more than this, he looked much stronger than Salido and he punched harder than his fellow-Mexican.

It was Cruz who looked as if he had the greater desire— as if he wanted it more.

One now wonders if it was simply because Salido was in effect cheating that he was able to win the title by defeating Robert Guerrero two years ago. He looked very strong that night, and Guerrero was to say afterwards that he was surprised how little effect his punches were having. Then came the news that Salido had tested positive for steroids. The title was vacated, and Salido was suspended for six months.

Salido came back well, though, his four wins including an impressive demolition of Renan Acosta of Colombia, in four rounds. This was noteworthy because the Colombian had been 12 rounds with Chris John in a world title fight and had never been stopped.

As noted by Wally Matthews in the Versus commentary, however, something seemed to be missing in the fight with Cruz. This definitely wasn’t the same Salido who had beaten Guerrero, nor was it the Salido who overwhelmed Acosta.

While Salido showed some nice moves, there didn’t seem a lot of power behind his punches, apart from a right hand that briefly buckled Cruz’s legs in the sixth round. When Cruz steamed right back at Salido in the seventh round I had the clear impression that the fight had taken a decisive turn. Salido was busy, bustling away to the body, but Cruz was doing the really effective punching and he was now coming on strongly. Cruz had, in fact, taken over the fight.

The bout seemed relatively close, but Cruz was the obvious winner. Salido’s corner didn’t even go through the pretence of hoisting their man in the air. Salido, his left eye battered and swollen, had the body language of a fighter who knew he had been beaten.

This was an outstanding performance by Cruz — his second in a row — and he certainly fought a terrific fight. It seems almost unbelievable that he was outclassed by Zahir Raheem last year, when Cruz lost every round on two judges’ cards.

During the Versus commentary, mention was made that the Cruz faction believed that Salido just wasn’t the same fighter without the benefit of steroids. Watching Salido fade as badly as he did in this fight, one felt that the Cruz camp might have had a point.