Boxing
Is Andy Cruz too early for the lightweight king Ibf Raymond Muratalla? Cuban star banks on amateur experiences
Published
9 months agoon
Andy Cruz claims that she is ready to challenge, Raymond Muratalli, Raymond Muratalli, after his belt, after his technical knockout Hironori Mishiro in the fifth round last Saturday night.
(Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom)
Amateur pedigree: Cruza’s advantage
Some fans are wondering if Cruz (6-0, 3 KO) has sufficient experience to challenge the world title after only two years in professionals. Cruz says that his amateur career and Olympic experience are enough to face Muratalli (23-0, 17 KO).
Cruza promoter, Eddie Hearn, is not sure if Muratalli’s next challenge, because the highest rank warrior can take a voluntary defense before he defends himself. It will depend on IBF, how quickly the fight will take place, but there is a chance that it may take up to a year.
“Of course, I was very quickly moved in terms of professional game. I had a very significant amateur pedigree, which allowed me to really develop,” said Andy Cruz during Press conference after the fight On the last Saturday night, asked if he thinks he is ready to challenge the lightweight IBF title with less than 10 fights as a professional.
Thanks to the long amateur career and Olympic career, Cruza would not be pointless to adopt a tardy approach to their professional career, like many fighters who did not have many amateur experiences.
Cruz Olympic experience
“I fought at the Olympic Games. I also fought at the world championship level. I feel like I was completely ready for the next step and whatever comes,” said Cruz. “I always believe that I can do a little more there. So I wouldn’t give myself 10 tonight. I would probably say that it was eight,” said Andy, asked what assessment he gave him. “
Muratalla has been a professional for nine years and faced Tevin Farmer and Zaur Abdullaev. He looked good in both fights. It is not known how many muratalla fights he had as an amateur, but you can safely say that there is not near the number that Cruz had. He ended his amateur career with a record of 140-9.
“With every fight you meet, it’s about other challenges, but I’m ready for any challenges that will come in my way. I came here to show what I am made of and show that I am ready to go to the next level. I think I did that I did,” Cruz said.
It is a pity that Andy did not fight a better opponent than Mishiro, because he was not a test for him. There are many better contenders in the lightweight division, but their promoters would not be joyful to let them face the warrior as talented as Cruz.
For example, it is unlikely that the highest rank will allow 21-year-old Abdullah Mason near Cruz, because he is not ready for this kind of warrior, and maybe he will never be.
Last updated 16.06.2025
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“I just want to fight in Dublin to finish my career. Of course we’re still hoping for Croke Park, holding on to a little bit of hope that it will happen,” Taylor told RTE.
“Fighting my last fight in our most iconic arena. How special would that be? I think it would be absolutely extraordinary if I was able to do it. I’m not sure if it will happen or not. Either way, I will end my career here and I’m very excited about that.”
Taylor has only fought twice in Ireland as a professional, both fights will take place in 2023 against Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena in Dublin. Cameron won her first fight by majority decision, handing Taylor the only defeat of her career, before Taylor regained the undisputed junior welterweight championship six months later in a rematch.
The 38-year-old Irish star remains one of the greatest fighters in women’s boxing history. Taylor won Olympic gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics before turning professional and quickly winning world titles in two categories. In 2019, she became the undisputed lightweight champion and later repeated the feat at 140 pounds.
Much of Taylor’s recent profile has been built on her rivalry with Amanda Serrano. Their first fight at Madison Square Garden in 2022 was widely celebrated and helped augment the visibility of women’s boxing. Taylor later completed the trilogy by majority vote in July, increasing her record to 25-1 (6 KO).
The possibility of saying goodbye to the stadium became the subject of interest for its long-time promoter. Hearn admitted it would take significant work to turn the idea into reality, but he believes this moment will be historic for Irish sport.
“It’s a hell of a lot of work to make sure one of the greatest athletes of all time fulfills her biggest dream. And I have to deliver Croke Park. I have to,” Hearn said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“If I don’t give it my all, if I don’t put in every effort to make it happen, I won’t do justice to Katie and I won’t do it to myself. Because it would be the biggest sporting event in Irish history.”
Hearn said talks with Croke Park officials had taken place previously and had resumed as Taylor’s career came to an end.
“There is more momentum this time,” he said.
No opponent has been determined for Taylor’s last fight. Hearn said the focus remains on determining whether the stadium plan can be secured before making any player selections.
“Obviously you want to have an opponent who is compelling, competitive and has a story behind it,” Hearn said. “Nothing has really been discussed or said about the opponent. We are really trying to ensure that discussions with Croke Park allow for that possibility before we pursue it further.”
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most crucial fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
Boxing
Gervonta Davis is close to returning to action, according to her opponent’s name
Published
3 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
It looks like Gervonta Davis is one step away from confirming her return to the ring.
Davis last fought in March 2025, when he earned a majority draw with Lamont Roach to defend his WBA lightweight title.
It was a controversial result, with many feeling that Roach had done enough to get the nod, especially after a knockdown was not awarded in his favor after “Tank” voluntarily chose to take a knee in round nine.
The next 12 months left many in doubt as to whether Davis would return to play at all. A planned exhibition with Jake Paul in November has been canceled over the Baltimore man’s naming in a civil lawsuit over domestic allegations, the latest in a string of issues going beyond the ropes.
Another drama occurred after an arrest warrant was issued for “Tank”, citing similar accusations, which led to him being stripped of his WBA lightweight title.
Regardless, it looks like Davis is ready to make a comeback after this happened Reported by Mike Coppinger that he is in advanced talks about a fight with Isaac Cruz, the man whom “Tank” considered his number one target at the end of last year.
Davis has already secured a victory over Cruz, who last fought in December when he fought to a majority draw against former foe “Tank” Roach – a fighter he believes should be given a chance to face him again.
Boxing
The fight between Luis Nery and John Riel Casimero will take place on April 18 in Kyrgyzstan
Published
5 hours agoon
March 9, 2026
Neither player holds a title and neither has been part of any real championship talk in recent seasons. Nery has already held the bantamweight and junior featherweight belts, although his recent appearances at featherweight have shown that the path up is confined. At 126 pounds, he looked undersized and unable to apply the same pressure that once carried him through lighter divisions, which makes a return to 122 pounds a more practical move.
Saikou x Lush Boxing will promote the event as part of a three-day boxing show in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The gala will be held at the Gazprom Sports Convoluted, an extraordinary setting for two players who regularly appeared on larger international stages at the beginning of their careers.
Nery (37-2, 28 KO) will fight in Kyrgyzstan for the second time in a row after appearing there in October last year. The 31-year-old Mexican southpaw defeated Sathaporn Saart by technical decision in the eighth round after an accidental head collision put the fight on the scorecards.
The win was his second in a row since Naoya Inoue stopped him in the sixth round in May 2024. Nery made a comeback earlier in 2025, stopping Kyonosuke Kameda in the seventh round before extending his rebound stretch with a victory over Saart.
Casimero (35-5-1, 24 KOs), now 37, built his reputation by winning junior flyweight, flyweight and bantamweight titles early in his career. Activity has been confined and results inconsistent over the past few seasons, leading to him being 2-1-1 in his last four fights.
His last fight was in December, when he defeated Tom Mizokoshi in the fifth round in Japan. Two months earlier, he appeared at the same October gala in Kyrgyzstan, where Nery fought Saart and lost to Kameda by unanimous decision of ten rounds.
The April meeting brings together two former champions who once operated at the forefront of the sport’s lighter divisions. At this stage, it could be read as more of a veteran clash between recognizable names rather than a fight expected to impact the junior featherweight championship race.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
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