Andy Cruz Calls Muratalla Defeat ‘Gasoline’

The Olympic gold medalist says his disputed defeat provided motivation as he begins another push toward a lightweight world title

Andy Cruz says his disputed loss to Raymond Muratalla has only strengthened his resolve as he prepares to face Abraham Montoya in Carson, California. The Cuban contender believes the defeat proved he belongs among the lightweight division’s leading contenders and has fueled his pursuit of another world title opportunity.

Cruz’s first professional defeat came in January when he dropped a closely contested majority decision to Muratalla in an IBF lightweight title fight. Many observers believed the 2020 Olympic gold medalist had done enough to win, but Cruz isn’t dwelling on the judges’ scorecards. Instead, he says the experience taught him valuable lessons that he’ll carry into the next chapter of his career.

“Of course, you always take lessons and experience, even from victories, because nothing is perfect. You always learn something new in every fight, and the Muratalla fight was no exception,” said Cruz to the Manny Boxing channel. “I learned a lot. It was the biggest fight of my professional career so far against a fighter of Muratalla’s level. It showed me I’m ready to compete at this level. It was a very competitive fight, and beyond the result, both of us gained because we put on a great show and proved we’re ready for the biggest fights. What happened in my last fight was gasoline for me.”

Cruz originally expected to face Albert Bell in an IBF title eliminator before Bell accepted a late opportunity against Abdullah Mason. Rather than complain about losing another direct path toward a championship fight, Cruz stayed focused on training and now meets Montoya, who enters the bout after upsetting Antonio Perez in April.

The 30-year-old believes a convincing victory will quickly put him back into the title conversation. After the disappointment of the Muratalla decision and the cancellation of his eliminator, Cruz is treating Saturday’s fight as the beginning of another run toward a world championship. The defeat may have delayed those plans, but he insists it also sharpened his focus and increased his determination to prove he belongs among the division’s elite.