Of all the fighters in the division. Muratalla has to defend against one of the most talented. Despite being the champion, Cruz is the betting favorite. The reason for that is the ability that the Cuban-born Andy has shown during his two-year professional career. His skills, defensive ability and reflexes set him apart from the others.
Interestingly, Andy has not received as much attention from fans as other lightweights, such as Shakur Stevenson and Lamont Roach. The reason for that is that he does not speak English, has no presence on social media, and is not a big talker like these two.
Cruz has these advantages over Muratalla:
- Speed,
- Defensive
- Reflexes
- Experience – at amateur level
“I see Andy winning. I see Andy frustrating him and winning on points,” said Kim Amoussa. YSM Sports Mediapredicting a win for Andy Cruz against Raymond Muratalla. “He’s going to make him miss and make him pay. It’s going to drain your energy down the road,” Kim said of Andy.
Cruz vs. Muratalla went under the radar with fans because neither fighter is a big talker. The promotion of the event by Matchroom and Top Rank was not as heavy as for a fight scheduled a week later. Cruz-Muratalla is a fight that hardcore boxing fans are aware of but won’t get as much attention.
“He (Muratalla) is an aggressive fighter, and that’s a big part of Andy’s game. He can pressure you into making your mistakes,” Amoussa said of Cruz. “I’m bigger than him, but he can push me when he wants to. He throws so many punches. like quick punches, and finishes with a hard punch.”
Muratalla-Cruz will be streamed live on DAZN on January 24, 2026. The event will be held at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. The subcard is still selected.
