The undefeated record in six fights of the cuban boxer Andy Cruz ran into the iron dam of American champion Raymond Muratalla this Saturday, in a stellar fight that defined the lightweight king of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in vegas.
The man from Matanzas arrived in the City of Sin with only six battles in rented boxing, very little according to the criteria of many, who ended up being right after the judges’ verdict in favor of the northerner.
Congratulations, Raymond Muratalla
Successful World Title defense with a MD win over Andy Cruz (114-114, 118-110, 116-112)
Tremendous fight from both men #MuratallaCruz @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/6O9I7rbryQ
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) January 25, 2026
Perhaps the best image of what the fight turned out to be was the card that marked a tie at 114. However, and despite the disproportionate balance of 118-110 – the other was 116-112 -, it must be conceded that the champion deserved to keep the throne against a challenger who demanded a lot of him, before taking away an important lesson for the rest of his career.
As expected, sparks flew from the very opening bell, and at the close of the first round the crossover between very different styles was clear, with no exact idea of which would end up prevailing.
Faithful to his training, which allowed him to win the Olympic belt in Tokyo 2020, Andy displayed speed and mastery in dodging, but that was no obstacle for his opponent, now 24-0 at this level, to impose his approach, based on initiative, dominance of the center of the ring and hitting volume.
Without wasting effectiveness, and especially from the sixth round, Muratalla began the work of convincing the judges, cutting off the Cuban’s initial momentum with strong blows, increasingly frequent to the torso.
Andy, for the first time facing the rigor of 12 rounds, began to lose steam in the closing, which underpinned the feeling of superiority recognized by his adversary.
Andy Cruz: festival, knockout and one step away from the world belt
It was at that exact moment that Muratalla looked for the Cuban much more. Depleted by wear and tear, Andy declined the option of playing the card of an “all or nothing” ending, perhaps with the illusion that he didn’t need it.
“I always want to do more, but I thought I had done enough to win,” the Yumurino conceded after the outcome, while Muratalla acknowledged that he did not believe his rival was capable of “withstanding his pressure.”
The announcement of the verdict returned the Cuban to the harshest reality, often recurring in professional boxing. At this level, talent—of which there is plenty—is not enough, since it is about minimizing doubts about superiority over the wax.
In any case, and beyond the voting, Andy passed the most demanding exam he has faced so far with a good grade. More importantly, his presence in the division will continue to command respect.
