The fight gave Muratalla credibility to defeat one of the best technicians in the lightweight division. He also showed how hard life at an elite level could become for him. Cruz landed multiple times during exchanges and forced Muratalla into a grueling fight that could take something out of the lightweight division over time.

Muratalla became the IBF champion after passing Vasily Lomachenko earlier this year. Lomachenko’s promotional contract with Top Rank officially expired this week, leaving the former three-division champion free to pursue outside fights if he decides to return.

Tuesday’s reports indicated that Lomachenko was considering a return at age 38 and would only return for a earnest fight.

One possibility the official mentioned was a fight against Muratalla, who immediately became the biggest name in the champion’s history.

There has been talk of a fight between Muratalla and Shakur Stevenson before, but no earnest talks took place until Stevenson moved up to 140 pounds earlier this year.

The IBF rankings leave several possible destinations for Muratalla’s return in August, including Albert Bell, Lucas Bahdi and Floyd Schofield Jr.

Meanwhile, Andy Cruz is reportedly being considered for another elimination fight, raising the possibility that Muratalla will eventually have to face the Cuban again if both fighters continue to win.

The uncertainty surrounding Gervonta Davis also left an open question in the lightweight division. Davis hasn’t fought since March 2025 and is reported to be aiming to return to fighting in the early fall while also dealing with legal issues in Florida.

This inaction has left fighters like Muratalla trying to take control of the division while the biggest names remain in uncertainty. August 8 may look like a homecoming date on paper, but Muratalla still has a ways to go before fans fully accept him as the man who replaced Lomachenko rather than a fighter who simply inherited the belt.

Sanchez comes into the fight after a 15-month layoff with ongoing questions about a knee problem that surfaced before his knockout loss to Agit Kabayel. Inactivity would already be a problem for a heavyweight with a lot of movement. Add to that the run, injuries and the lack of a significant opponent since the defeat, and the timing starts to look precarious for Sanchez.

His returning opponent, Ramon Olivas Echeverria, entered with an 18-24 record. This wasn’t a rebuilding fight against a live opponent. It was maintenance work.

Torrez sees an opportunity. Many “slick” heavyweights look untouchable until someone stops admiring the move and simply forces trades. Kabayel revealed this plan against Sanchez. He attacked the body, stayed there and turned the fight into a grind instead of a chess match.

Then the mystery quickly disappeared. Torrez believes he can do the same with a different type of pressure. Faster feet. More feints. Greater impact volume. More chaos.

“I’m going to overwhelm him and take him to those deep waters that I love,” Torrez Jr. said. for Fight Hub TV.

This phrase sounds less like a promotion and more like a game plan built around erosion.

Torrez talked about conditioning multiple times during the interview. He said he believed he had the best gas tank in the heavyweight division and took the fight back to the delayed rounds. Seventh. Eighth. Ninth. This is usually a sign that the fighter believes his opponent is physically weakening. And why wouldn’t he do it?

Sanchez is now 32 years senior. The legs already looked defenseless against Kabayel. Heavyweight fighters who rely on exercise rarely age gracefully after injury. A bad knee changes everything about this style. The gap disappears. Escape routes are disappearing. Suddenly, the “skillful” fighter stands still long enough to be struck repeatedly in the arms, chest and body. This is the fight Torrez wants.

Sanchez fans will still cite his amateur pedigree and victory over Efe Ajagba, but those evenings now seem far away. Heavyweight boxing changes rapidly as activity declines and the body begins to break down.

Finally, after years of back-and-forth, a fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury appears to be just around the corner, and ahead of the fight, former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew has made a confident prediction.

Joshua and Fury boast a combined record of 2-3 since March 2024, but both are keen to prove they are still among the heavyweight elite and a fight between the two British icons is believed to have been signed.

But before fight fans get too excited, both “AJ” and “The Gypsy King” will have key warm-up fights that could jeopardize their reunion, with Joshua is scheduled to face Kristian Prenga in July and Fury are still looking for an opponent.

Still, Fury’s opponent is expected to be as risky as Joshua’s so as not to put their long-awaited fight at risk.

If both men go through their fights unscathed, their fight will take place in November, and the conversation will be on topic Fight Your Horn PodcastBellew confidently stated that he did not foresee the need to employ judges.

“The only thing I can fully, truly commit to, put my hand on my heart and say, ‘I really, really think this is going to happen,’ is that it won’t take long.”

As for the winner, Bellew was leaning towards Joshua, but admitted he couldn’t predict the Londoner’s victory with certainty until he saw how he fared against Prenga.

“The reason I can’t put my hand on my heart and think it’s Josh is because I need to see Josh in the ring and see what he can do.

“The example I could give him is that if he gets in the ring and just lets his hands work for six rounds, even if he thinks, ‘I’ll just let them go,’ he can knock anyone out.

“That’s what I’m predicting, Joshua can knock him out.”

Former heavyweight ruler and Joshua’s conqueror Andy Ruiz Jnr has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential dance partner for Fury, looking to once again thwart Joshua’s mega-fight plans.