Seeing Cruz lose was personal from a professional’s perspective.
What Davis was really reacting to
Davis raised his hands after the results were announced, treating the result as a proxy victory. It said more about the story than about the fight itself. Cruz was always a wall Davis couldn’t climb. Saturday shattered this image.
Cruz was untouchable to him. Four fights. Four losses. No corrections. Watching Cruz look casual in the professional ring led to him being offered a waiver. Davis couldn’t make any money on it.
This reaction did not decide anything. It revealed it.
Why the result doesn’t change anything for Davis
Muratalla’s victory does not answer the questions that arose after Davis left Tokyo. This does not prove that Davis is the better professional. He is not rewriting amateur history. If anything, Muratalla is ahead of Davis in the current order.
The fight itself was close. This was reflected in two cards, 114–114 and 116–112. One card, 118–110, no. Cruz landed cleaner punches. Muratalla continued to move forward. The judges leaned towards aggression, even when it was ineffective.
Cruz could have easily made the decision. This context matters.
Watching Muratalla raise his hand gave Davis a moment he never deserved against Cruz. This did not close the gap. It emphasized it.
Where Davis will go next
Davis returns on January 31 at Madison Square Garden, where he moves up to welterweight to face Jamaine Ortiz at Ring 6, broadcast on DAZN. This is a reset of the fight in the up-to-date division.
Davis mentioned fighting Cruz before Saturday. This door is now closed. Cruz lost. The title track is gone. Each match would require Cruz to move up to 140 pounds and defeat a top contender
This path looks narrow. Cruz is tiny and lightweight. In the welterweight division, size quickly becomes an issue.
Which Cruz continues to show
Despite the defeat, Cruz remains unsafe. The jab landed. The control was there. Against the division’s elite, his style still holds up.
Judging by Saturday, Cruz remains a problem for Shakur Stevenson, Abdullah Mason and Floyd Schofield. The skill is real. The margin was gaunt.
Davis celebrated the result. Sports haven’t changed.
Dan Ambrose was the main voice in Boxing News 24 known for years for its sensible approach to sport. You can love him or hate him. Dan has developed a sturdy fan base for his straightforward analysis, direct opinions and in-depth coverage of the global boxing scene.
His articles often spark discussions among fans because he is not afraid to challenge popular narratives or question players’ performances. In addition to opinions, Dan provides fight news, previews, and post-fight analysis that provide readers with both detail and perspective.
Floyd Mayweather’s last knockout victory over a legal opponent came in 2011 against Victor Ortiz, but despite the stoppage loss, the fighter known as “Vicious” claims he once fought a much better opponent.
It was a highly controversial moment when Mayweather knocked out Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title more than a decade ago, and the fourth round of their fight turned out to be full of drama.
Ortiz threw combinations on the ropes against Mayweather, but then got reckless and led with his head, prompting the referee to deduct a point.
With Ortiz paying no attention to the resumption of the fight, Mayweather fired a tough shot that knocked down and then knocked out his opponent, proving the elderly adage to always protect yourself.
Mayweather is undoubtedly the biggest name Ortiz has ever adopted, but while the boxing legend can be considered one of the best of all time, Ortiz told TalkSport that Andre Berto was better.
“He (Mayweather) is not the best opponent I’ve faced. Without a doubt, not. The best opponent I’ve faced was Andre Berto; he was much better. Andre Berto is a top-shelf pound-for-pound king. He knocked me down, I knocked him down, he got up, he knocked me down again.”
“This man showed everything: quality, heart, skill. Whatever, he’s got it. Someone like Floyd has what? Counter, running? That same year, I bought him some sprint shots at a press conference. My brother also bought him a box of tampons.
“But Andre Berto is special. I have the utmost respect for him. He has power in both hands; he is the total package. Someone with Floyd can’t compete with that.”
Ortiz defeated Berto to win the WBC welterweight title in a fight before facing Mayweather, which would be the first defeat of Berto’s professional career.
Berto’s final record was 32 wins and 6 losses, and during their meeting in September 2015, he suffered a one-sided defeat to Mayweather himself.
Mayweather competed just once again after the Berto fight, when he knocked out MMA fighter Conor McGregor in August 2017, although he is scheduled to return to fight former opponent Manny Pacquiao in September provided that the current problems can be solved.
Many fans on social media suspect that Miller is once again chasing Joshua just to secure a huge payday, which he threw away when failed drug tests canceled their 2019 fight.
Joshua wants a tune-up before he finally meets Tyson Fury. The plan is to shake off the rust and keep his record pristine before this huge event happens. This gap in the schedule gives other heavyweights a chance to make their voices heard, and Miller takes advantage of the moment.
Miller is still a controversial name, but he knows how to cause offense. Beating Pero would aid him prove that he still belongs in this conversation.
“Your whooping cough will come sooner or later. You can run, but you can’t hide,” Jarrell Miller said on Matchroom.
From a business perspective, Joshua’s team is focused on the Tyson Fury event. Facing an aggressive, volume hitter like Miller in a comeback fight would be risky. If Joshua wins, critics may view it as defeating a challenger who has spent years outside the elite mix. If he loses, Fury’s payout and his position will take damage.
Miller has built much of his reputation on noise and confrontation, but he’s still trying to fight his way into the majors. A victory over Pero won’t put him in a fight with Joshua right away, but it will keep him in the wider discussion.
Joshua’s team may still choose the safer and more controlled option of a return, especially if negotiations with Fury progress behind the scenes. Risking that payday against a hazardous or inconvenient opponent wouldn’t make much sense.
Still, Miller continues to cling to the story whenever Joshua’s name resurfaces in the headlines. Heavyweight boxing has a long memory, and some unfinished fights remain useful long after the first fall.
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most vital fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
Terence Crawford has named an opponent he would “love to face” with Gervonta Davis in his expected return to the sport.
The former world champion hasn’t fought since March 2025, when many felt he was lucky to draw with Lamont Roach.
Nevertheless, “Tank” retained the WBA lightweight title and was scheduled to face Roach in an immediate rematch before negotiating an exhibition match with Jake Paul.
But instead of spending time with the YouTuber-turned-boxer, Davis was forced to deal with domestic violence allegations from his former partner, Courtney Rossel.
Davis, however, has expressed greater interest in a rematch with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz at 140 pounds, even though he passed the Mexican in 2021.
Meanwhile, Crawford has no desire to watch “Tank” fight Schofield or Cruz, but he would happily sit back and watch him clash with Shakur Stevenson.
I’m talking to Danielle Pirello“Bud” called the WBO super lightweight world champion the perfect opponent for Davis, believing their potential meeting would be one of the best fights that could be had.
“I’d like to see Shakur vs. ‘Tank’ Davis.”
Stevenson had previously called on Davis to sign a contract several times, perhaps making him increasingly doubtful whether the Baltimore player would ever sign.
Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect an immediate fight between “Tank” and Stevenson, especially after the latter’s dominant performance against Teofimo Lopez in January.
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