Lightweight contender Raymond ‘Danger’ Muratalla 19-0 (16) is fast making a case for a shot at WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine champion Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney 30-0 (15).
The 26-year-old Californian puncher delivered a mature performance to break down and stop Diego ‘Azabache’ Torres 18-1 (17) in the eighth round of their 10-round contest at the Tahoe Blue Event Center in Lake Tahoe, Nevada on Saturday night.
Muratalla boxed within himself in the early going, using his superior footwork to create angles without getting drawn into a war. With each progressive round he increased the pressure and by the sixth if looked like it was only a matter of time before he found the fight ending shot.
It came in the eighth round when a salvo of blows sent Torres to the canvas. The 26-year-old Mexican beat the count but referee Celestino Ruiz wisely waved off the contest at the 1:45.
At the time on the stoppage Muratalla was leading on all three judges’ scorecards 70-63.
“I’m here to put on a show. Every day, I’m working hard to get these opportunities. And I’m showing out,” said Muratalla after the fight.
“We put in the hard work and I’m here to take out these opponents. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I’m here to take whoever. Any champion. I hope my next fight is a title fight.”
Haney remains the boss of the 135-pound division despite a planned trip to 140-pounds where the 24-year-old will test the waters against WBC junior welterweight champion Regis Prograis 29-1 (24) at the Chase Center in his hometown of San Francisco on December 9.
It is a fight that Muratalla’s team have long fancied. After his previous bout, a two-round blowout of Jeremia Nakathila 23-3 (19) in Las Vegas in May, his trainer Robert Garcia told ESNews that Muratalla is the real deal.
“Devin Haney won’t fight him because it’s too risky,” said Garcia. “It wouldn’t be a huge fight where you can make millions of pay-per-views. Haney won’t fight Raymond. He just won’t, but we’ll take the fight in a heartbeat.”
At the final pre-fight press conference on Thursday, Muratalla said he was out to steal the show.
“It’s a huge opportunity for me,” he said. “Come Saturday night, I’m going to show out again and it’s going to get me close to that title shot that I’ve been wanting.
“It’s going to be another great performance. Every fight I’m learning and learning and working on my craft. Come Saturday night, it’s going to be another hell of a show and it’s going to be a great night for me.
“Hopefully, this gets me to a title fight. That’s what I want. That’s what I’ve been wanting. Hopefully, a victory on Saturday night gets me closer and closer.”
The drums are now beating for exactly that.