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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Ruben Villa is one step closer to competing for a world boxing title.
The Salinas native emerged as the No. 1 contender in the World Boxing Council's featherweight division with a 10-round unanimous decision over Mexico's Cristian Cruz on Saturday.
The win defeated Cruz 98-92, 98-92, 97-3 and improved the 26-year-old Alvarez High School graduate's professional record to 22-1.
Vila's only loss as a professional in his career came in 2020 when he fought for the WBC title. The two-time National Golden Gloves winner is 4-0 since his setback, with two of those wins coming in Texas.
Villa dominated the latter rounds, scoring consistently with his jab. His last three fights have resulted in two 10-round decisions and one eight-round unanimous decision.
Cruz entered this fight with 22 wins, half of them by knockout, but his record dropped to 22-7-1.
See more in the Monterey Herald
