That’s not how promoters usually behave when their fighter is walking into a title shot.
Cruz is the betting favourite, and that part makes sense. He’s an Olympic gold medalist, and he’s looked unbeatable as a pro. The eye test has been kind to him so far. Muratalla, meanwhile, is the IBF lightweight champion, unbeaten with 28 wins, and far more experienced at this level. However, experience only goes so far if the level of opposition hasn’t been high.
Muratalla’s best wins have come against Tevin Farmer and Zaur Abdullaev. Solid professionals, but not stellar competition. Also, not fighters who looked anywhere near Cruz’s level in their own pro careers. That doesn’t mean Muratalla can’t win. Still, he doesn’t have the kind of wins on his resume that suggest that he’ll be victorious against the Cuba born Cruz.
The fight is a mandatory defense, so Muratalla has no choice. The fight has been ordered. He’d hoped to take a voluntary before the fight was ordered, but he didn’t move quickly enough to get it made. Ultimately, Muratalla ran out of time, as the IBF ordered him to face Cruz.
So why the hesitation from Hearn? Part of it feels like salesmanship. Everyone already expects Cruz to win. Calling it 50 50 keeps the fight alive in conversation. It suggests danger without spelling out doubt. It also quietly shifts attention to the one thing Cruz hasn’t shown yet.
“Andy is Andy,” Hearn said. “This is his moment. But Muratalla has been there before.”
Muratalla has been twelve rounds in championship fights. Cruz hasn’t. It’s just a box still waiting to be checked.
And then there’s Cruz’s reputation at lightweight. Fighters talked around him. Opportunities didn’t rush his way. Keyshawn Davis was one of the names that never materialised, even with public callouts floating around.
Hearn doesn’t need to say Cruz should win. Everyone already thinks that. What he’s doing instead is leaving just enough space for doubt to make the fight feel real to create interest.
