Raymond Muratalla hopes to get a statement knockout win over Jesus Perez tonight in their 10-round contest on ESPN+ at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Jesus Perez (25-5, 18 KOs) has fought at welterweight, losing to the big punchers Brian Norman Jr. and Alexis Rocha. He went the distance with both fighters, showing he could take their power. In Perez’s last fight, he defeated the former super featherweight champion Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz.
Muratalla (21-0, 16 KOs) needs an impressive performance to make fans forget his disappointing performance earlier this year against former Tevin Farmer on July 13th.
The former IBF super featherweight champion Farmer out-boxed Muratalla during the first half of the fight, making him look like an average fighter. Muratalla did come on late to hurt Farmer in the ninth and tenth rounds with big shots, but his performance was not what fans had expected.
“That would be a huge statement. I know he’s a bigger guy. He’s been in the ring with some good fighters. So, I know it’s going to be tough,” said Raymond Muratalla to Sean Zittel about his fight tonight against Jose Perez.
Muratalla doesn’t throw enough punches for him to have a chance of knocking out Perez tonight because it would take a lot to get that guy out of there. He’s fought bigger punchers than Muratalla before and survived.
“I think it’s going to be a tougher fight. I think I’ll be able to show more of my skills rather than someone that is running, hugging, and all of that,” said Muratalla when asked if Perez will be an easier fight for him than his last one against Tevin Farmer on July 13th.
Perez will actually fight more than Farmer did, but it won’t be a tougher fight in terms of Muratalla needing to solve his style. He couldn’t solve Farmer’s style. The only reason he won was that Farmer gassed out late in the contest.
“The movement, and holding. He’s an ex-world champion, so he knows his way around,” said Muratalla about his fight against Farmer. “I should have let more punches go to stop some of the movement and not let him hold me so much.”
Farmer didn’t do a lot of holding against Muratalla. He was mostly countering and moving short distances. It may seem to Muratalla that Farmer was holding a lot, but he wasn’t.
“When I let my hands go, it’s hard to get me off of you. So, that’s something we’ve been working on and you guys will see a lot more of that. Just watching my fights and the films. If I had thrown more punches, I would have landed more.
“We’re close, we’re right next to each other,” said Muratalla about him being ranked high alongside Keyshawn Davis. “I think the WBO, I should be next. We’re all going to end up meeting each other someday,” said Muratalla about the top four contenders in the lightweight rankings.
“We [Keyshawn] could get it on. I’m here to fight. So, obviously, I want the world title shot. If we’ve got to fight for a world title, we can fight for a title, too. I think because he doesn’t have a name, but he’s a champion for a reason. He has an awkward style. He’s pretty slick.
“He knows what he’s doing,” said Muratalla when asked if WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk is the weak link among the champions at 135. “I think a fight between me and him would be perfect. Hopefully, we get it soon.”
Berinchyk can do more things than Shakur and Gervonta Davis can. He doesn’t have the wheels that Shakur has or the power of Tank. He’s got the skills.
“Either one. Whoever I can get it first. I’m not picking and choosing. I don’t really care,” said Muratalla when asked who he would prefer to fight between WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and Berinchyk with his WBO belt.
Berinchyk is the likely champion Muratalla will fight, but it’s questionable whether that will happen in 2025. It’s believed that Top Rank is saving Berinchyk so Keyshawn Davis can fight. He’s the 2020 Olympic silver medalist that Top Rank has been pouring money into, trying to turn him into a star. They’ll give him that Berinchyk fight rather than Muratalla.
“If he doesn’t go through with it, I’m here,” said Muratalla, wondering whether he would be open to fighting Shakur if he doesn’t face William Zepeda in February. “I think it helped me with the movement and just the slickness. It would help me prepare for a guy like him,” said Muratalla, wondering whether the fight against Farmer would help him prepare for a clash against Shakur.
Considering that Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotes Shakur, he won’t want to waste one of his two fights on his contract with the Newark native by scheduling a fight against the Top Rank-promoted Muratalla. I don’t see that happening. If anything, Hearn would try and help out one of his fighters, like Andy Cruz or Joe Cordina.
“I think my style. I don’t think he’s faced a style like mine. I just think my style is different from that of any other fighters that he’s fought. Only because of the movement. I know he’s not going to exchange with me, but I’m here to win. I’ll fight to win,” said Muratalla about his belief that Shakur would be a harder fight for him than Berinchyk.
Shakur would make things difficult for Muratalla by jabbing, potshotting, and moving all night. He’s got the old Mayweather style down pat, but he’s even more elusive than he was during his best year. Murtatalla would be better off going in Berinchyk’s direction.
“Absolutely,” said Muratalla about his confidence that he’ll fight for a world title in 2025. “I’m here. I’ve got to put on shows and keep winning, and I can’t wait for next year. I’ll get a world title.”
It’s unlikely that Muratalla will get a world title shot in 2025 unless it’s against WBO champion Denys Berinchyk. He’s ranked #2 behind William Zepeda, who is expected to challenge WBC champion Shakur Stevenson in February. The way that Muratalla looked against Farmer, he’ll get his head boxed off by Berinchyk. That would be a really hard fight for Muratalla because Berinchyk has much better technical skills.
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