Courtney Hayes-Cruz Gonzalez Media TV interview on turning pro

The Courtney Hayes-Cruz Gonzalez Media TV interview centered on a decision she has not made yet: after 18 amateur fights, Hayes-Cruz hopes to reach 20 by the end of the year before considering a professional career. She also discussed training with her husband and coach, Adrian, and feeling ready for her November 7 appearance on the Wonder Woman Boxing Show, which will stream on MILLIONS.

How is Courtney Hayes-Cruz preparing for her November 7 fight?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz said she feels ready for her November 7 fight on the Wonder Woman Boxing Show after completing 10 rounds of sparring. With four weeks remaining when she spoke with Gonzalez Media TV, she was focused on refining smaller parts of her preparation and improving her conditioning rather than making a major change to camp.

That sparring session gave her a measure of where she stood. She felt she had reached the point she needed to reach, while acknowledging that four weeks would pass quickly. Her remaining work was to tune up details and continue building her conditioning.

She has also worked on getting out of her own head before a fight. Hayes-Cruz wants to enter the ring, enjoy boxing and give spectators an action-filled performance. Her stated goal was not simply to feel prepared, but to let the work she had done in camp show on November 7.

What is Courtney Hayes-Cruz's boxing journey, and what has training cost her?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz began boxing about 10 years ago through fitness classes intended to help her lose weight, but she quickly wanted to fight. She now has 18 amateur bouts and trains around a full-time job as a union organizer. She said the largest sacrifice has been the personal time that boxing takes outside work.

From fitness classes to amateur fights

Her first sessions involved hitting the bag, and her interest in competing came almost immediately. She later stepped back for a period when the pandemic interrupted her progress. Once things began opening again, she was ready to return and connected with a friend from the first boxing gym she had entered.

That friend introduced her to Adrian, who became her coach and later her husband. Hayes-Cruz said she had not expected her boxing journey to include 18 amateur fights. She and Adrian have trained together for about five years, making boxing a central part of both her athletic development and their relationship.

Training around a full-time job

Outside her work as a union organizer, Hayes-Cruz said, almost all her spare time goes to boxing. For roughly the past four or five years, she has trained six days a week, sometimes twice in one day, before and after work. She takes breaks, but described that demanding schedule as the shape of her life during those years.

It has also meant giving up time she might otherwise spend going out to eat, drinking or seeing friends. She understood that commitment would be required and initially stepped back because she was unsure she was ready for it. Once she decided she could make the sacrifice, she committed to training. Hayes-Cruz said people see the fight in the ring but do not always see the work that precedes it.

Will Courtney Hayes-Cruz turn professional after 20 amateur fights?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz is open to turning professional, but she has not decided to do it. With 18 amateur fights behind her, she hopes to reach at least 20 by the end of the year before weighing that move. She said the next few fights and the opportunities available afterward will help determine her choice.

Twenty fights has been a goal she set for herself, not an announced date for a professional debut. She would be excited to go pro if circumstances lined up, but she does not view remaining an amateur as a failure to advance.

Hayes-Cruz said she would also be comfortable staying amateur if it allowed her to keep getting fights. Her reason for continuing is straightforward. Hayes-Cruz put it this way:

I do this for love of the game.

She tied that love of boxing to her work with Adrian. As she develops as a fighter, he develops as a coach, and she said the experience strengthens their relationship. That shared purpose matters to her regardless of which path she takes after her next bouts.

How do Courtney Hayes-Cruz and her husband Adrian work together in boxing?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz said Adrian is both her husband and her boxing coach, roles they are still learning to balance. At times she needs technical direction and a push to train; at others, including moments when he is in her corner, she wants support from her husband rather than instruction from her coach.

Their connection began when an old friend from Hayes-Cruz's first boxing gym introduced them after she returned to the sport. They have trained together for about five years and have been married for about three. She described boxing as part of how they got to know each other and fell in love.

Rather than follow a fixed rule for separating coaching from marriage, the two respond to what is needed in the moment. Hayes-Cruz said she sometimes tells Adrian that she needs him to be her husband, while at other times she wants him to tell her to get to the gym and work. He sometimes reminds her when he is speaking as her coach. She said they have made the arrangement work, even as they continue figuring it out.

What did Courtney Hayes-Cruz say about the Wonder Woman Boxing Show?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz said her November 7 appearance will be her first time competing on a Women's Boxing Network all-female show. It will not be her first experience on an all-female boxing program: she previously competed in an all-female tournament in Texas. She praised the network's events for giving fighters opportunities to gain experience.

An earlier all-female tournament in Texas

When asked whether she had appeared on an all-female card before, Hayes-Cruz first said no, then recalled the Texas tournament from a few years earlier. She distinguished that experience from her upcoming appearance with the Women's Boxing Network. She has attended several of its shows and spoke positively about the opportunities they create for fighters of different ages and experience levels.

Heidi and Amber's work behind the show

Hayes-Cruz also thanked Heidi and Amber for their work behind the Wonder Woman Boxing Show. She said their contributions to women's boxing deserve more recognition, particularly the work they do behind the scenes. She thanked Adrian as well for believing in her from the beginning and supporting her through the demands of training.

Which training products does Courtney Hayes-Cruz use?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz said she uses Punch Gunk, a muscle cream, when her elbow is sore. She described the brand as woman-owned and its product as all-natural. For gloves, she is less particular: she trains in a pair of Adrian's Winning gloves that she said are about 15 years old.

She said the older gloves remain in good shape. Rather than identify a long list of essential camp equipment, Hayes-Cruz singled out Punch Gunk as a product that helps her with soreness and gave its makers a shout-out.

Her comments on gear came alongside a broader account of preparation built around sparring, conditioning and a demanding training schedule. She did not present equipment as a substitute for that work; the cream and gloves are simply products she uses while doing it.

Who is Courtney Hayes-Cruz?

Courtney Hayes-Cruz is a boxer dedicated to developing her skills and sharpening her technique as she pursues success in the ring. She approaches boxing with passion, discipline and commitment.