Andy Cruz responds to Raymod Muratalla's criticism of title opportunity (Exclusive)

Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) has been vocal about Cruz getting this title opportunity. The champion recently told Ring Magazine that even though he respects what the 2021 Olympic gold medalist has accomplished, Muratalla thinks "it's too soon" and "too much" for Cruz to be in this spot. 

Cruz debunks Muratalla's assertion and feels the only way to find all of that out is by what happens in the ring on fight night.

"He can't decide whether it's too soon or not, whether I'm ready," Cruz said through a translator to DAZN News. "The ring itself, when we go in there, will be the deciding factor. So we'll see if I'm in fact ready for this fight."

Muratalla isn't the only one who's spoken up against Cruz getting the shot. When Cruz was presented with the chance of Muratalla being an option by promoter Eddie Hearn, there was no hesitation on his end. Cruz admits he'd have taken the fight if offered it right out of the shoot. The 30-year-old is glad to have gotten the proper competition thus far in his pro career to help him prepare for the biggest moment of his career.

"When I came to the U.S., when I began this journey, if I'd have been offered a world title fight on that first day, I'd have accepted it because that's an opportunity that everybody wants to fight for a world title," Cruz said. "However, I knew I needed to make the transition into the professional game. I needed to face strong fighters, which I did. I needed to progress, and at that time, perhaps I wasn't ready, but I feel like I've had a perfect transition and will show on Saturday that we are more than ready for this fight."

The last fighter of recent memory to fight for a world title this early in their career was future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko, who fought Orlando Salido in his second fight for the vacant WBO featherweight belt in March 2014. 

Cruz understands the gravity of what a chance this is because it's rarefied air to get such a significant fight this early in one's career. Unlike Lomachenko who lost to Salido, Cruz plans on leaving Las Vegas with the gold. 

"It's a complete honor to be able to put my grain of sand in there in history and to be able to get this opportunity in this world title fight," Cruz admits. And it's an opportunity that I will take full advantage of on Saturday night." 

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