Andy Cruz Disputes Loss to Raymond Muratalla

Cruz says he was more effective despite majority decision loss in Las Vegas

Andy Cruz disputes his loss to Raymond Muratalla, saying he did the better work. The Cuban believes he was more effective despite the official decision.

Cruz lost a 12-round majority decision to IBF lightweight champion Muratalla on January 24 in Las Vegas. The scores were 118-110, 114-114, and 116-112. It goes in the record as a loss. The Matchroom-promoted Cruz doesn’t see it that way.

“I don’t feel like a loser. I was more effective,” Cruz said to Fight Hub TV when asked about the fight.

His argument rests on how the rounds played out, not how they were scored. Cruz outboxed Muratalla for long stretches, landing the cleaner work and controlling distance when he chose to hold his ground. He came out of the fight without visible damage. Muratalla didn’t. His face showed it, with swelling and both eyes marked up by the end.

Cruz didn’t do enough of it. He gave ground too freely, and he moved when he didn’t need to against the slower Muratalla. Against a pressure fighter, that can read as retreat, even when the punches being thrown are not landing clean. Judges tend to reward forward motion. Muratalla had that.

When Cruz, 30, stood his ground, the fight changed. He picked Muratalla off with combinations and made him pay for closing the distance. Those moments were clear, but they just weren’t constant.

Andy has acknowledged that part without backing off on his broader view of the fight. He said he could have done more, particularly in terms of aggression, but maintains that what he did produce was enough.

That leaves him in a narrow lane, accepting the correction while rejecting the conclusion.

There is no next fight confirmed yet, and Cruz is back in training, waiting for that to fall into place while carrying that view forward.

Cruz said that’s the part he’s carrying into his next fight, where the moments he stood his ground were there, but he didn’t stay with them long enough to take full control, which is the adjustment he plans to make.