What Six Fights Tell You
Cruz has looked sharp in limited exposure. His Cuban foundation shows in how he moves and controls distance. Bozy Ennis claims he hasn’t tried to rebuild Cruz’s style, just add to it. That sounds reasonable until you remember he hasn’t been tested by anyone who could exploit gaps in that approach.
Muratalla brings a different problem. He’s not a polished boxer, but he applies pressure and forces fighters to work in close. If Cruz can keep him at range and box off the back foot, this could go cleanly. If Muratalla drags him into exchanges and makes it ugly, we’ll learn more about Cruz in one night than we have in six fights combined.
The IBF sanctioning this as a title fight says more about the organization’s priorities than Cruz’s readiness. Alphabet titles get handed out based on rankings that shift for reasons no one outside the offices can track. Cruz might be a future champion, but putting him in this spot now feels like building hype before confirming the foundation.
Cruz Is Ready
“This fight is the most important fight of my career,” Cruz said in training footage released by Matchroom. “At this moment I just had to prove it, and that’s what I’m doing, put on a great show and remain the champion that night.” He calls himself the champion before winning the belt. That’s either confidence or promotional thinking taking over.
He added: “Since arriving in the United States I always knew I had what it takes to be here. I am aware that every fight will be more difficult for me. As I climb the ranks, the fights gets harder. This is my first opportunity for the title so for preparation each camp has to be with more intensity, with more desire, more heart so that I can achieve my goal.”
The awareness is there, but awareness and experience aren’t the same thing. Cruz also said something worth noting: “My style comes from Cuba. So rather than changing it I made adjustments, a combination of Cuban boxing and a boxing style learned here can give good results. Talent without work is nothing.”
This fight will either confirm Cruz belongs at this level or expose him as a prospect who got pushed too fast. Muratalla isn’t a name fighter, but he’s fought tougher opposition and knows how to make a fight messy. If Cruz handles him cleanly, the hype starts to look justified. If he struggles, we’ll be back to wondering why he was in this spot to begin with.
Date: Friday, January 24, 2026
Start time: 7:00 PM ET (12:00 AM GMT Saturday)
Streaming platform: Live on DAZN
Venue: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
