Connect with us

Boxing

Hearn uncertain whether Andy Cruz will receive an immediate shot against Muratalla

Published

on

Image: Hearn Unsure if Andy Cruz Will Get Immediate Title Shot Against Muratalla

Promoter Eddie Hearn says he is not sure whether his warrior, Andy Cruz, will receive an immediate shot from the IBF of lightweight master Raymond Muratall after throwing Hironori Mishiro in the fifth round at the title eliminator IBF 135-Funts last Saturday evening at the theater at the theater in the theater in Madison Square Garden York.

Andy Cruz: An undetermined king, the title was refused?

Yesterday Cruz showed last night that he was an unadged king of a lightweight division. He defeated all the best fighters, Gervont Davis, Abdullah Mason and Shakur Stevenson. Muratalli promoters are in the best rank experts in the detection of talent and will know that Cruz easily defeated him; That is why they will raise their feet in the fight between them.

Like the previous master Keyshawn Davis, Muratalla is sensitive and must be protected against Andy Cruz.

CRUZ (6-0, 3 KO) is a must-be chaPF for the belt. It is believed that the recently arranged by IBF Muratalla (23-0, 17 KO) has from 9 to 12 months before he has to defend against Cruz.

IBF will decide how quickly the fight will be ordered, but they will probably give Muratalla a lot of time for voluntary defense to earn some money in an effortless fight before he is dealing with the task of defending Cruz.

If the Olympic gold medalist 2020 Andy Cruz were popular and it was a certain victory for Muratalla, the highest rank would probably immediately pull the trigger of the fight. It is not. though. Muratalla there is a lack of a well -rounded game have many chances to overcome talent such as Cruz.

Protection of Muratalla against Cruz

Raymond will have Puncher’s chance and all this against Andy. In other words, it will be on the same boat as Hironori Mishiro yesterday. He will have a little more power than Mishiro, but his skills are equally restricted and will be at the grace of Cruz.

The highest rank will know and stop the title defense of Muratalla against Cruz as long as possible. It would not be a surprise if Muratalla squeezes two fights before defending themselves against Cruz. If they manage to unite with one of the masters, they can even get three fights. I sense that there will be desperation from the highest class, knowing that Muratalla has little chance of defeating Cruz.

“It is mandatory now. Of course, Muratalla has been raised. So we have to see what plans he has,” said the promoter Eddie Hearn from Press conference after the fightWhen asked about Andy Cruz, potentially challenging to be a title against Master IBF Lightweight Raymond Muratalla.

Hearn shows his naivety here. The highest rank will delay the title defense of Muratalla before Andy Cruz as long as possible, hoping that he will give up and leave from taking this fight. If they can keep it long enough, Cruz can opt for a different belt or warrior. I can read the highest rank like a book. They will be a classic work because they know that Muratalla cannot defeat Cruza and will look like Mishiro and Omar Salcido when they were learning Cuban talent.

12-month Muratalla window

“I don’t believe he [Muratalla] He has a closed date, but they can give him a period in which he allowed him to be voluntary, “said Hearn.” One of the reasons why we wanted to take this opportunity is that IBF will follow their rules, and this is very essential for us when it comes to Andy Cruz. “

The period when Muratalla will probably be given from 9 to 12 months. So the highest rank will decide on a full 12-month time to give them a warrior a chance to milk his title two to three times.

“If it were mandatory for another management body, we understand that sometimes the rules are not as solid as IBF. So, Muratalla, we think he should immediately fight his mandatory pretender and we would like it if it was ordered.

“If he has a defense, it will be one defense, and then we will fight in the meantime. But you know that it is inevitable with these guys, and this was one of the attractions of the fight against the latter eliminator,” said Hearn.

Last updated 12.06.2025

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Prince Naseem Hamed’s biopic “Giant” hits the United States on May 22

Published

on

a biopic chronicling the career of former featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed will be released in select U.S. theaters and on VOD on May 22. The film stars Amir El-Masry as Hamed and Pierce Brosnan as his longtime trainer Brendan Ingle, with Sylvester Stallone among the executive producers.

Directed and written by Rowan Athale, it premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2025 and was released in the UK and Ireland on January 9, 2026, before arriving in the Middle East via the Red Sea Film Festival. Vertical holds U.S. distribution rights, and the film was financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital.

What the movie covers

The plot follows Hamed’s rise from Sheffield, England, to a world title under Ingle, an Irish-born steelworker who ran a boxing gym in a church hall. According to the official description, the film also addresses the racism and Islamophobia that Hamed faced in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s, and also focuses on his relationship with Ingle, who died in 2018.

Collider published an exclusive clip from the film on May 21 featuring Hamed’s 1994 fight against Vincenzo Belcastro. In this fight, Hamed won the European bantamweight title in 12 rounds, which was only his 12th professional contest, which was the beginning of his later career.

The warrior behind the film

Hamed, a southpaw of Yemeni heritage, finished his professional career with a 36-1 record and 31 knockouts while holding featherweight titles in multiple sanctioning bodies throughout the 1990s. Now 51, he was known for his unconventional style, pre-fight showmanship and ring walks that often ended with a fall over the top rope. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Following Ingle’s death, Hamed directly attributed his success to his coach Ring that without him he wouldn’t have achieved what he did in sports.

The supporting cast included Toby Stephens as promoter Frank Warren and Katherine Dow Blyton as Alma Ingle. The film lasts 110 minutes.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Rico Verhoeven reacts to the loss of Oleksandr Usyk

Published

on

Image: Rico Verhoeven Reacts To Usyk Loss: “I’m Here To Stay”

Rico Verhoeven insists he has proven he belongs in boxing despite an 11th-round loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in Egypt.

The former kickboxing champion pushed Usyk much harder than many expected before the referee stepped in tardy in the fight. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had the fight even at 95-95, with the third having Verhoeven ahead 96-94.


“Yeah, it sucks. I felt like I was so close to shocking the world,” Rico Verhoeven told DAZN Boxing after the fight.

“I want to stay here. I think I showed the world that I can definitely box. Even as a kickboxer they told me, ‘Who is this guy? He can’t do anything. It’ll be four or five rounds,’ but I think after four or five rounds we were pretty even in terms of results.”

“So I think it was a crazy, crazy performance. I felt like I was so close to winning, but it is what it is.”

Verhoeven entered the fight as the main underdog against the undefeated unified heavyweight champion, but his physical pressure, size and willingness to trade caused Usyk to struggle during several early and middle rounds.

The performance immediately changed the discussion about Verhoeven’s future in boxing.

Rather than treat the fight as a one-off, the Dutch heavyweight later made it clear that he planned to continue boxing despite the defeat. His comments also reflected the fierceness of the fight before Usyk finally took control in the championship rounds and forced a stoppage.

For much of the fight, Verhoeven looked much more comfortable than many expected against one of boxing’s greatest champions.

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Categories Aleksander Usyk

Last updated: 23/05/2026 at 20:20

Continue Reading

Boxing

Rico Verhoeven speaks out about the referee stopping Usyk’s fight one second before the end of the round

Published

on

Rico Verhoeven speaks out on referee stopping Usyk fight with one second left in the round

Rico Verhoeven commented on the controversial break in the match after the defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Verhoeven challenged heavyweight king Usyk at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, and despite most expecting a huge mismatch before the fight, the Dutchman came within a whisker of arguably the biggest upset in boxing history.

The kickboxing legend did enough to win multiple rounds heading into the final stages, with the underdog Usyk struggling to cope with his unconventional opponent.

Usyk finally found the shot he needed when he dropped his opponent at the end of the 11th round, and although Verhoeven managed to get up, the Ukrainian attacked again. led to referee Mark Lyson stopping the fight. Many fans – as well as Verhoevens’ team – were outraged by this decision.

After the fight, Verhoeven shared his thoughts on Lyson, who waved it off, saying he felt he deserved to fight longer.

“I thought it was an early break. It’s not up to me. I believe the referee knows we’re almost at the end of the round, whether he lets me go to the target or let the bell ring… it was close and I thought we were equal on the scorecards.”

Vehoeven was humble at the time when asked if he deserved a rematch.

“It’s not up to me, it’s up to the organization, let’s see what happens.”

It is unknown whether the second fight will actually take place, as the WBC has already ordered Usyk to face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel next, under threat of being stripped of his belt.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending