“We signed a new contract with Andy Cruz a few days before the fight,” Hearn said Carlos Linares. “We still have fights with Andy Cruz.”
Obviously, it was not a reward for a performance or a reaction to the result. It was a preemptive step to secure his future. Matchroom is already discussing a return to the ring as early as May or June.
Cruz had a risky fight against the more experienced Muratalla, and he didn’t embarrass himself with his performance in losing a 12-round majority decision. Hearn pointed out that the 118,110 scorecard was a disgrace and argued that Cruz’s stock actually rose because of how he handled the relentless pressure Muratalla put on him during the fight.
It was a fight that could have gone Cruz’s way as he was busy landing shots and getting out of the way of Muratalla. The two justices who sided with Raymond probably took note of his aggressiveness, even if it was rarely effective. He just came forward, cutting off the ring, repeatedly missing while eating jabs.
Hearn also mentioned the possibility of Cruz moving down to super featherweight. Andy did not say whether he agreed with this idea. The problem with going down to 130 is the lack of big names.
Staying at lightweight gives Cruz the chance to potentially fight Shakur Stevenson, Abdullah Mason, Floyd Schofield, William Zepeda and Lamont Roach. These are famous fighters. Moving up to 130 pounds, Cruz’s best options are Emanuel Navarrete or O’Shaquie Foster.
“I think his stock went up in that fight,” Hearn said of Cruz.
I wouldn’t say that Andy Cruz’s stock went up after this fight. If anything, it fell badly by showing that he gives too much ground when pressed. The style that allowed him to win an Olympic gold medal in 2020, defense and movement, doesn’t work in the pro game.
Fighters need to stand their ground and get more involved for the judges to score rounds in their favor. Shakur Stevenson gets away with fighting like that, but he’s a bigger name, a big social media talker, and that obviously helps. Cruz doesn’t have it working for him. So, he needs to get more involved, develop his inside game and focus on improving his power.
