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.