Stevenson insists on title fight at lightweight as Robert Garcia leaves door open to 140
Shakur Stevenson is pushing for a fight with Raymond Muratalla to take place at 135 pounds. Muratalla’s trainer Robert Garcia has left the weight open, including a possible move to 140.
The exchange started when Robert responded publicly to Shakur Stevenson and explained his earlier comments about IBF lightweight champion Muratalla.
“If you listen to the full interview, I said Raymond will have 1 more fight at 135, and Top Rank is working on locking in a date and opponent. And we will be at 140 after. But if our next fight is vs you, we can do it any weight. We dont have anything set yet so lets make it happen,” Robert Garcia said on X.
That’s where Shakur had an issue.
“Why would we do this at any other weight if he has a 135 belt IBF, and it would be for the ring magazine belt, that’s what will make it interesting for me.. I don’t get it,” Shakur said on social media in a reply to Robert’s comment.
Stevenson is making a clear-cut argument. He believes the value of the fight is tied directly to the 135-pound title Muratalla currently holds. By moving the weight or settling for a catchweight, the bout loses its prestige and becomes just another matchup rather than a true championship battle.
Garcia is being flexible for a reason. Muratalla has been a big lightweight for a while, and it showed clearly in the Andy Cruz fight. After rehydrating, he looked massive in the ring, closer to a 140-pounder than a natural 135. Maintaining that size becomes a grueling task as the competition gets tougher, making the jump to 140 feel like a necessity.
The Andy Cruz fight definitely took some of the shine off Muratalla. He got the win, but it was messy. Cruz was tagging him with the right hand all night and looked like the better boxer for long stretches. If Cruz had a better engine and more pro experience, Muratalla probably walks out of there with a loss.