Raymond Muratalla’s trainer, Robert Garcia, says that Muratalla won’t defend his IBF lightweight title against mandatory challenger Andy Cruz until the sanctioning body orders the fight.
IBF Title Defense Stalled
Carlos Linares reports that Muratalla’s trainer, Robert Garcia, states that they won’t fight Andy Cruz (6-0, 3 KOs). They prefer to defend the IBF belt against another fighter in California. It’s unknown who the opponent will be for Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs), but someone likely ranked down below in the IBF’s top 15.
It’s not a surprise that the Top Rank-promoted Muratalla won’t be defending against Cruz. When Muratalla was elevated to IBF champion status on June 9th, there was already speculation that his promoters would have him select easy opposition to allow him to hold onto the belt for as long as possible.
Muratalla’s Next Opponent Search
It’ll be up to the IBF to decide when they plan on ordering Muratalla to make the defense against Cruz. Muratalla could have up to one year before the IBF orders the fight. That time gap would be ideal for Top Rank, as it would allow Raymond to get two easy title defenses against soft bottom dwellers, like Maxi Hughes and Diego Torres.
Andy Cruz became the IBF lightweight mandatory on June 14, 2025, knocking out Hironori Mishiro in the fifth round. It’s believed that the talented Cruz targeted the IBF title because it was thought that it would be faster for him to get a title shot rather than going after the WBC title that Shakur Stevenson holds.
Cruz is ranked #1 with the WBC. However, Shakur has shown no desire to fight Andy. Stevenson has been pushing for a payday fight against Gervonta Davis, and he’s been steering around Cruz, defending against lesser fighters.
Andy Cruz: Uncrowned 135-pound King
The 2020 Olympic gold medalist, Cruz from Cuba, has been an avoided fighter, deemed the untouchable one, since he turned professional in 2023. Initially avoided by Keyshawn Davis, then Shakur Stevenson, and now seemingly Muratalla. It’s a sign that Andy Cruz is the uncrowned King of the lightweight division.
It could take years before Cruz could get a title shot against Shakur if he chose to go in that direction, because it’s not a fight that would be given to him. Again, Cruz is arguably the uncrowned King of the 135-lb division. Shakur is the puppet King.
Last Updated on 08/01/2025
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