Raymond Muratalla Vs. Andy Cruz – How Does It Play Out?

IBF Lightweight Champion Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) will reportedly face Andy Cruz (6-0, 3 KOs) on January 24th from Las Vegas’ Fontainebleau. 

The news follows after Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing beat Top Rank to stage the fight with a purse bid of $888,888. Cruz has the chance to fight for the belt after just six pro fights. 

“Andy Cruz’s next fight will be 100% for a world title. So, we’ve done our job. We’ve brought him through perfectly well. He’s done amazing. And you talk about limited fights. There’s another one. I mean, he’d had a handful of fights, really. But he’s ready. He’s ready to fight for the world title. And it’ll be a massive moment for him when he challenges a very good in Muratalla. It’s a very dangerous fight, but it’s a great one,” Hearn said 

Cruz turned professional late at the age of 27 in 2023, but amassed an extensive amateur record which included beating former WBO Lightweight Champion Keyshawn Davis four times, including his final win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to win the gold medal. Cruz’s last fight was a win over Hironori Mishiro via a stoppage. Muratalla is no easy test, as the boxer is also undefeated. He won the interim version of the belt by beating Zaur Abdullaev in his last fight in May and became the full champion once Vasiliy Lomachenko retired in June. Now, this is his first defense of the belt, knowing the pressure is on him. 

The Approach

Cruz’s goal will be to control the range and pace of the fight, keeping Muratalla constantly chasing. This will involve lots of pivots, lateral movement to remain just outside the champion’s effective punching distance. When he does engage, he will do so with his snapping jab and rapid combinations. He will aim to land clean counters, thus minimizing his own exposure to the champion’s power. 

Muratalla knows he cannot out-box a technician like Cruz. His objective is to cut off the ring and pin Cruz against the ropes, turning the fight into a brawl. The champion will focus heavily on body work—throwing hooks to the body to drain Cruz’s gas tank and slow him down. Muratalla must be willing to take one shot to land two, as the bout will no doubt be an intriguing encounter.