Why Top Rank Isn’t Rushing Raymond Muratalla Into A Fight With New Mandatory Andy Cruz

Andy Cruz isn’t expected to be given a world title shot soon against IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla after becoming his mandatory by stopping Hironori Mishiro in the fifth round last Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) was just elevated by the IBF recently, and his promoters at Top Rank are going to want to focus on a more winnable fight. Putting him in with Cruz (6-0, 3 KOs) would be a bad move. Muratalla is a good fighter, but not on the level of Andy Cruz.

“I don’t know what happens with this Muratalla fight. I imagine Matchroom pushes hard to get that mandatory order as fast as possible,” said Chris Mannix on his YouTube channel, talking about Andy Cruz after he defeated Hironori Mishiro to become mandatory for IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla last Saturday.

Muratalla’s Strategic Maneuvers

It would be interesting to see what strategy Top Rank will use to assist Muratalla in maneuvering around Cruz if the IBF orders the fight. They could move Muratalla toward a unification with Abdullah Mason if he defeats Sam Noakes to capture the WBO lightweight title. However, Mason, 21, is young, and it would be self-defeating for Top Rank to match him against the 28-year-old Muratalla.

“I imagine that Top Rank, which promotes Muratalla, is doing everything it can not to do that fight soon,” said Mannix. “I don’t know why they would want to get in with Andy Cruz. Maybe they have Muratalla fight Abdullah Mason. He’s going to fight Sam Noakes [for the vacant WBO lightweight title]. That was ordered. I think Top Rank is going to do some things.”

They’d jump at the chance to match Muratalla against someone like Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz or Frank Martin. Those are realistic fights that Raymond would have a good chance of winning.

“I would love to see the fight between Cruz and Muratalla,” said Mannix. “He’s undefeated and a good fighter. That win he had over Tevin Farmer ages better by the fight. So, I would love to see that fight, but I just don’t see Top Rank rushing into that at all. I don’t think that’s realistic.”

Andy Cruz is a lot better fighter than the 36-year-old Tevin Farmer. The success that Muratalla had against him doesn’t mean that he could do the same thing against Cruz.

Cruz’s Rising Lightweight Stature

“Whenever Andy Cruz gets a shot, I think he’s going to win a title. And once he gets that title, you’re looking around, ‘All right, can we make Andy Cruz vs. Shakur Stevenson?’ That is a good fight. I can’t see Tank going anywhere near him. I think this next fight, if he gets a title shot, it’s going to open up a lot of doors for Andy Cruz,” said Mannix.

Top Rank isn’t going to want to throw Muratalla in with Cruz after watching what he did to Mishiro last Saturday night. They’re going to want to have Muratalla defend against someone less formidable, and try to hold on long enough to make a big fight with a more notable fighter. Tank Davis and Shakur Stevenson won’t either. There’s no money in fighting Muratalla.