“Shakur came to my gym and told me, ‘I do want that fight,’” Robert Garcia said about Muratalla to ProBox TV.
Robert believes Muratalla has earned the opportunity against any of boxing’s top names after his victory over Andy Cruz.
“Let’s try to push for the biggest fights out there for Raymond Muratalla because Muratalla’s a great fighter,” said Robert. “The kid already showed it against Andy Cruz. There’s no holding back. Let’s go after anybody. If it’s Tank, if it’s Shakur.”
Garcia’s comments are understandable from a trainer’s perspective, but the boxing landscape has changed since Shakur joined Zuffa.
From a business standpoint, Muratalla is a difficult fight to justify. He holds the IBF lightweight title, yet many fans still view Gervonta Davis as the division’s top fighter despite his inactivity. A victory over Muratalla would add another belt to Shakur’s resume, but it wouldn’t generate the attention or financial upside of fights against Tank or Haney. The risk, meanwhile, is obvious.
Muratalla is a naturally big lightweight who looked closer to a welterweight after rehydrating for his fight against Andy Cruz. He’s young, fearless, physically strong and punches hard enough to make any opponent uncomfortable. Although Robert praised Muratalla’s performance against Cruz, it was a close fight that many observers felt Cruz deserved to win. Muratalla also absorbed plenty of punishment in his earlier victory over Tevin Farmer.
If Zuffa wants Shakur to stay active before landing one of the blockbuster fights, Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela appears to be the more logical option. Rayo is already part of the promotion and is coming off a knockout of Edwin De Los Santos, the same opponent who pushed Shakur into one of the most heavily criticized performances of his career in 2023. That’s a storyline Zuffa can market far more easily than a fight with Muratalla.
Robert’s story offers an interesting look at what Shakur was thinking BEFORE the Zuffa deal. His public comments since then have pointed elsewhere. Instead of campaigning for Muratalla, Shakur has consistently focused on Tank Davis and Devin Haney, suggesting those are the fights he sees as defining the next stage of his career.
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