Boxing Challenge: Muratalla Shades Cruz

    Raymond Muratalla used an aggressive yet controlled style to force the superior boxer, Andy Cruz, to engage more and move less, winning a close majority decision to retain his IBF lightweight title in Las Vegas.

The fight reminded me a lot of the two Artur Beterbiev-Dimtri Bivol fights, as it was a fight that had plenty of action but was done with skill, not with crude punches.

Muratalla was the slightly harder puncher, had the advantage in the final few rounds, and deserved the very close decision, which he won by scores of 118-110 and 116-112 for Muratalla and 114-114 even.

I thought Muratalla won by a tight 115-113 score and believe the 118-110 card was out of touch with reality.

Muratalla was making a mandatory defense and was the visiting fighter (Muratalla is promoted by Top Rank) on a Matchroom/DAZN card.

Muratalla surprised me a little with the win and is going to be a tough out for anyone in the division but unification fights may have to wait a while with the WBA title being vacated (Gervonta Davis had the title removed due to his out of the ring issues) and the WBC title could be vacated should champion Shakur Stevenson win his junior welterweight championship match with Teofimo Lopez next week.

WBO champion Abdullah Mason is also promoted by Top Rank but is still relatively untested, and Top Rank may not be in a hurry to have a prized prospect meet Muratalla too early.

Cruz fought well, and after a close loss, I wouldn't be surprised to see his name in the mix for vacant titles.

Former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov returned to the ring after a long absence but didn't thrill anyone in a rout of Luis David Salazar.

Madrimov won on all three cards (and mine) 99-91 and hurt Salazar in the final round, but otherwise trudged his way to the easy win.

Khalil Coe blew weight by an astonishing eight pounds before his light heavyweight fight against Jesse Hart, lost a point for bodyslamming Hart, and appeared to be defeated by Hart, a former super middleweight title challenger.

Yet, Coe was rewarded with a majority decision that he didn't deserve, winning by scores of 96-92, 95-93, and 94-94.

Hart didn't help his cause when he lost a point for holding in round six, but it didn't cost him the fight on those cards.

I scored Hart the winner 95-93.

Boxing Challenge

Ramon Malpica; 8 Pts(4)

Vince Samano: 7 Pts (3)
TRS:  6 Pts (2)