Andy Cruz’s first major title shot is finally within reach.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Matchroom Boxing secured the promotional rights to Cruz’s mandatory title challenge versus IBF 135lbs titlist Raymond Muratalla. Matchroom submitted $888,888, significantly outbidding Top Rank ($550,000) during Thursday’s hearing.
The date and location for the ordered title fight are to be determined in final contracts submitted to the IBF, which are due 15 days from the time of the purse bid.
Muratalla, 23-0 (17 KOs), promoted by Top Rank, is due 65 percent of the winning bid ($577,777.20) as the defending titlist. The remaining 35 percent ($311,110.80) would theoretically go to Cruz, who is with Matchroom.
The fight was formally ordered on October 2, with a 30-day negotiation period assigned in the ruling. Given their past history, an immediate purse bid was requested and originally scheduled for October 16.
A one-week day was granted prior to the session, but failed to provide any progress in a fight whose talks originally began in early summer. There were hopes for the fight to have taken place in October or November, with the November 22 Ring Magazine card funded by Turki Alalshikh as a potential option.
However, Muratalla’s team instead opted to first pursue a voluntary title defense.
At the time, the IBF indicated that California’s Muratalla had until February 10, 2026 – nine months from his interim title win over Zaur Abdullaev – to honor his mandatory.
The IBF then ruled that Muratalla was required to satisfy his mandatory by no later than December 5. The shortened window, coupled with Top Rank still exploring a TV/streaming deal, severely impacted Muratalla’s options and essentially locked him into this fight – absent a decision to vacate the title.
Matchroom has been with DAZN since its 2018 U.S. launch. The UK-based, global promotional outfit made a previous offer for the fight earlier this summer but that was declined by Muratalla’s team.
Muratalla defeated Russia’s Abdullaev to win a secondary version of the IBF 135lbs title on May 10 in San Diego, California. The win came exactly 52 weeks after Vasiliy Lomachenko regained the full IBF title in a stoppage win over former lineal and unified champ George Kambosos Jnr.
Lomachenko had until October 9 to face Muratalla in a title consolidation fight but instead opted to retire from the sport. Muratalla was given an immediate upgrade but has not since made his way back to the ring.
Lomachenko’s retirement and Muratalla’s advanced title status also paved the way for Cruz, 6-0 (3 KOs) to enter a final title eliminator. The 2020 Olympic Gold medalist for Cuba made proper use of the opportunity, a sixth-round stoppage of Hironori Mishiro on June 14 in New York City.
Cruz planned to return to the ring this fall if Muratalla moved forward with a voluntary defense. He will instead embrace his first title fight, and now with full promotional backing for the occasion.
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
