Without hesitation, Raymond Muratalla says he’s willing to fight fellow unbeaten Top Rank lightweight Keyshawn Davis. The way things are transpiring, it’s more likely to occur as a unification bout.
“The way I’m feeling is that after this, I should be getting a call for a title shot,” Muratalla told ProBox TV and BoxingScene this week. “I’ve been putting in the work my whole career. I’m ready for it.”
With Top Rank-affiliated Denys Berinchyk (WBO) and Vasiliy Lomachenko (IBF) currently wearing lightweight belts, Southern California’s Muratalla, 21-0 (16 KOs), is hopeful a strong showing against Mexico’s Jesus Antonio Perez Campos, 25-5 (18 KOs), in the co-main of the November 2 ESPN+ Robson Conceicao-O’Shaquie Foster rematch in Verona, New York, will launch him to a title fight.
While there has been speculation that the second-ranked Muratalla (WBC, WBO) and No. 3-ranked Davis (WBC, WBO, IBF) are on a collision course toward a title eliminator of sorts, with Davis headlining an ESPN November 8 card in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia, a highly placed official involved in such conversations told BoxingScene on Thursday, “I don’t think [Muratalla] fights Keyshawn next,” instead labeling a Muratalla title fight being next as “possible.”
Top Rank isn’t sure of Lomachenko’s future plans – whether he’ll opt to retire or take a 2025 unification bout against WBA titleholder Gervonta “Tank” Davis. And unanimous top-ranked lightweight contender William Zepeda is being pointed toward a February 22 title shot against unbeaten WBC belt holder Shakur Stevenson.
Said Muratalla trainer Robert Garcia: “I think [Muratalla and Davis] will fight as champions, because when Zepeda fights for the WBC, that puts Raymond at No. 1 [in the WBO] … and if the word is true that ‘Loma’ retires, Keyshawn gets that one.”
Yet that also empowers Top Rank with the flexibility to flip Muratalla and Davis toward those titles, and an official familiar with the situation said Davis is being aimed toward a title shot at Berinchyk while Muratalla is being pointed to No. 5-ranked contender Zaur Abdullaev, 20-1 (12 KOs), for the belt vacated by a leaning-toward-retirement Lomachenko.
“I didn’t do this on purpose, but fighting [Perez Campos] is the perfect style for Muratalla to prepare for Abdullaev,” said Brad Goodman, Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmaker.
Muratalla, 27, expressed confidence that he’ll produce an entertaining bout against Perez Campos, a forward-fighting contender who has beaten Joseph Diaz Jnr and fought at welterweight against current 147lbs champion Brian Martin Jnr and Golden Boy Promotions’ Alexis Rocha.
That rugged test dialed up by Goodman follows a flatter July 13 showing in which Muratalla struggled to impose his will on the evasive, clutchy former junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer.
“The only reason I gave [Muratalla] Tevin Farmer is the possibility that Raymond was going to fight Shakur next. … Who better to prepare for Shakur than Tevin?” Goodman said.
Muratalla still won by unanimous decision, but it followed another unanimous decision in March that zapped the excitement he had generated by knocking out Jeremy Hill in 2022 and Jeremia Nakathila in May 2023.
“Muratalla knows he has to go out there and make statements now because he hasn’t in his last couple of fights,” Goodman said.
“It showed me the stuff I still need to work on,” Muratalla said of the Farmer fight. “His movement, holding … I should’ve roughed him up a bit more. That will move me forward. It’s always a good learning experience. But I’m looking to throw my hands and entertain the fans.”
Trainer Garcia called the Farmer fight “a good win, a good test, a good learning experience. … I know who Raymond is. I see it here in the gym.”
Muratalla said he expects an entirely different type of performance against Perez Campos.
“We’ve seen him fight a lot of experienced guys. … We know he’s a tough guy and he’s going to come forward. He’s there to win,” Muratalla said. “It’s going to be a great show, one with fireworks. I can’t wait. I am fully prepared for this one.”
Top Rank President Todd DuBoef told BoxingScene that it’s up to Muratalla to seize the day.
“He’s knocking on the door of a title and now it’s his time to capitalize on that,” DuBoef said. “When you become a top contender and position yourself for great things, in a sense, that’s the start of your career.
“It’s now all about improved performances, activity, finding the right fights and winning in the biggest moments. He’s going to have to figure that all out now and make the right decisions.”
Muratalla said he accepts the advice/constructive criticism.
Being in Garcia’s gym, where Muratalla is currently training alongside unbeaten two-division champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and former unified 140lbs titleholder Jose Ramirez, has made the preparation a vigorous, inspired exercise.
“It’s amazing being around those guys,” Muratalla said. “They keep it 100 percent real. They’re not going to tell you what you want to hear. They’re here to help you.”
That mindset shapes Muratalla’s desire to join Rodriguez and another Garcia gym occupant, 140-pound WBA belt holder Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, as world titlists.
“I just want to be a champion,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who I fight. When I’m at my best, I feel no one can beat me.”
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
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