On Saturday, January 24, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz headlines a Matchroom Boxing in association with Top Rank fight card, live on DAZN.
Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz will be for Muratalla’s IBF lightweight title. The American inherited the title following the retirement of Vasiliy Lomachenko. We’ll bring you all the results from every fight on the card. The card will begin at approximately 17:00 PT/20:00 ET/01:00 GMT.
All results Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz on January 24
Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz
After the undercard had concluded with Khalil Coe defeating Jesse Hart, it was time for the Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz lightweight main event.
Cruz started brightly in the opening round, finding a consistent home for the right hand. Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs) had some success, but the speed and combination punching from the Cuban were more eye-catching.
It was a much stronger second round from the IBF champion, taking the centre of the ring and having success up close. As we reached the end of round four, both had their success, with Cruz (6-1, 3 KOs) looking good working off his jab, while Muratalla looked on top when he closed the distance well.
Cruz had some success in the seventh round, showcasing his quick hand speed and accuracy; however, Muratalla produced some notable body work towards the end of the round. The pressure from Muratalla against the slick movement from Cruz made this a fascinating watch as we edged towards the championship rounds.
The eleventh round saw “Danger” land some heavy-looking combinations. He also landed a sharp left hand, rocking Cruz. The American ended the 12-round fight on top, and this fight went to the scorecards, which read 114-114, while the other two cards favoured the pressure of Muratalla with scores of 118-110 and 116-112, ensuring the American retained his IBF lightweight title.
Khalil Coe vs Jesse Hart
Next up on the Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz undercard was Khalil Coe (11-1-1, 8 KOs) vs the experienced Jesse Hart (31-4, 25 KOs) in the light heavyweight division. The buildup between these two was full of drama, with Coe missing weight by 7.8 pounds, thus forfeiting 30% of his fight purse to Hart. After missing weight, Coe was ruled unable to win the WBC USA light heavyweight title.
In the opening two rounds, Coe had success with the right hand, but Hart found his range well, picking his punches impressively. In the third round, Coe picked up Hart and slammed him down, which led the referee to take a point from Coe.
Hart controlled the distance well, which appeared to frustrate Coe, who seemed unsure what stance to be in and when to throw. At the midway point of the fight, Hart was winning by throwing more punches than Coe. In the sixth round, a tired Hart was deducted a point for holding. “Big Steppa” enjoyed his best round in the sixth, landing a right hand, which hurt Hart.
It was ultimately a scrappy fight, with Hart ending the fight on top in the final two rounds. It went to the judges’ scorecards, which read 94-94, while the other two favoured the work of Coe, scoring it 95-93 and 96-92 to earn the majority decision win. Looking back on the fight, it’s difficult to see how Coe did enough to win what was a dreadful contest.
Israil Madrimov vs Luis David Salazar
Next up on the Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz fight card was former WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov (11-2-1, 7 KOs) against Luis David Salazar (20-2, 7 KOs).
It was a mostly cagey opening round, with both fighters looking to find their range. Madrimov landed the most eye-catching punch of the opening round, a left hook that caught the attention of Salazar. Over the next few rounds, Madrimov landed some nice combinations. Salazar had his best moments when he threw 1-2 combinations, but the Uzbek fighter landed the most telling punches.
The fifth round saw Salazar have his best moments, controlling the distance well and landing some eye-catching right hands. At the halfway point, the Uzbek fighter had landed the better punches, but the Dominican continued to come forward.
Madrimov’s ongoing lung problems seemed to affect him in the fight, but that is to be expected, and the Uzbek looked comfortable for the majority of the bout. The Uzbek fighter enjoyed a strong end to the fight, and almost got the final round stoppage as he landed a series of heavy punches, which his opponent did well to survive. The judges’ scorecards read 99-91 x3 in favour of Israil “The Dream” Madrimov.
Omari Jones vs Jerome Baxter
Up next in the super welterweight division was the talented Orlando native Omari Jones (5-0, 4 KOs) vs Jerome Baxter (7-1, 3 KOs).
Jones made an electric start, picking his shots well, rocking Baxter in the first round. The 2024 Olympic bronze medallist also landed a power jab, knocking his opponent down. Despite being on top, Jones did not rush his work and continued to control the fight with his ramrod jab.
In the third round, Jones continued to almost land almost at will. Baxter showed bravery in this round, but Jones maintained his dominance. He moved well throughout and timed his punches impressively. Baxter’s bravery ensured he became the first fighter to take Jones to the scorecards, which read 60-53 x3.
Zaquin Moses vs Leandro Damian Medina
The first fight on the Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz card saw gifted super featherweight fighter Zaquin Moses (6-0, 3 KOs) return to action against Leandro Damian Medina (7-3-1, 4 KOs). Moses ultimately dominated.
Moses showcased slick combinations, picked his punches well, and scored a knockdown in the third round. He once again excelled up close, hooking into the body of his brave opponent. His counterpunching and poise will make sure he goes far. All three judges scored the bout 60-53 in favour of Moses.
