With Vasiliy Lomachenko officially hanging up the gloves, the International Boxing Federation has elevated Raymond Muratalla to full lightweight champion, ending the 28-year-old Californian’s brief stint as interim titlist and thrusting him onto boxing’s marquee stage.
The IBF’s June 5 notification confirmed Lomachenko’s retirement at 37 and praised the Ukrainian’s “truly exceptional” career, noting that his blend of Olympic brilliance and professional mastery will echo for future generations. Muratalla inherits that legacy after edging Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev in May and now stands as the division’s newest benchmark.
Watch Muratalla vs. Abdullaev highlights: Watch
Attention turns immediately to Madison Square Garden’s Theater this Saturday, where Japan’s Hironori Mishiro meets Cuba’s Andy Cruz in a sanctioned eliminator. The winner becomes Muratalla’s mandatory challenger and, effectively, the first tester of his freshly minted crown.
The upgrade alters nothing about the Muratalla's mission: consolidate the belt, sharpen the résumé, and prove he is more than an interim caretaker. For the rest of the 135-pound landscape, Lomachenko’s exit has opened a prime seat at the championship table - and Muratalla has just taken it.
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