Albert Bell hopes his long journey to a world title can come to a satisfactory end in 2026.

Bell will be ringside on Saturday night when IBF lightweight titleholder Raymond Muratalla makes his first title defense against Andy Cruz at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Bell, 28-0 (9 KOs), has not had it easy in his quest to this point. He campaigned at junior lightweight and, for a period of time, was even ranked highly in the division. Yet he never could secure a world title shot. Splitting ways with promoter Top Rank, Bell, a 32-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, went independent. He fought mostly in his hometown, against the best opposition that could be found to put in front of him.

“It has been a long journey,” Bell told BoxingScene. “We just kept our heads down and kept getting wins. It was frustrating how things played out at 130lbs.”

In 2025, Bell moved up to lightweight. He holds two wins in the division. In August, he defeated Keith Hunter via a unanimous decision. Now the lightweight division is in flux. WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson is moving up to junior welterweight to challenge Teofimo Lopez Jnr and vie to become a four-division titleholder. Who knows if Stevenson will return to the weight class? Gervonta Davis, now the WBA champion in recess, is facing issues outside the ring, while Abdullah Mason is the WBO titleholder. Then there is Muratalla and Cruz, who will fight this weekend.

Bell doesn’t care who the best in the division is. All he wants is to climb in the ring to determine that for himself.

“I just want the chance to win a world title,” Bell said. “None of these guys have fought each other yet in these divisions. I don’t believe one fight defines who is the best in a division.”

Bell hopes he is the next challenger or contender for the IBF title. Per the IBF rankings, Cruz is ranked No. 1 and will get his shot on Saturday. Floyd Schofield is ranked No. 3, but because he is also ranked No. 2 by the WBA, he could have two options for becoming a titleholder. Mark Magsayo is ranked No. 4, but he has been rumored to face Michael Magnessi for the WBC junior lightweight title. And at No. 5, Lucas Bahdi sits one spot above Bell – but also holds the WBA No. 1 contender spot. Depending on whether and how the rankings change in February, Bell wants to enter his name into consideration with the division’s other top fighters. 

“We are looking to throw my name in the hat, and I want to prove that I could be the best fighter at lightweight,” Bell said. “I feel once I am crowned [win a title], it will make the journey that much sweeter, knowing we did it our way and overcame all the obstacles that were put in our way.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.