Raymond Muratalla: ‘I am too big and too strong’ for former titlist Tevin Farmer
Onwards and upwards, that’s the target for lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla on Saturday.
Muratalla, rated at No. 6 by The Ring at lightweight, will face former IBF junior lightweight titlist Tevin Farmer in a scheduled 10-round contest at Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, in the undercard of the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Andrei Mikhailovich middleweight title bout.
“I think it’s going to be a good fight,” Muratalla (20-0, 16 knockouts) told The Ring. “We’ve seen him before and he’s a good boxer, he moves well, punches well.
“I just think I’m on another level right now. I’m too big, I’m too strong, I’m fast, I think my ring IQ is going to be too much for him that night. I think it’s going to show, he’s never faced a fighter like me and I think we’re going to see that July 13.”
While Farmer could well prove to be a tricky customer, someone who could make the powerful Muratalla miss at times, the 27-year-old Californian believes it’s the logical step to help prepare him for the likes of stablemate and WBC beltholder Shakur Stevenson and WBC junior welterweight boss Devin Haney further down the road.
“Exactly, that’s what we want – it’s perfect for me,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great just to show the fans that a different style doesn’t mean anything to me because I’m able to adapt to different styles. It’s going to be a great one. I can’t wait to show a different style that I can bring against a fighter like that.”
Muratalla, who is trained by Robert Garcia in Riverside, California, is coming off a fairly dominant though not impressive 10-round unanimous decision win over wily South African fringe contender Xolisani Ndongeni in March.
“That was a bad performance on my end,” he said before explaining. “To be honest with you, I wasn’t feeling well for that fight. I had a lot of stomach problems the whole week leading up to it and it showed during the fight. I didn’t have my power like I used to, my speed, my rhythm felt off.”
However, he is taking the positive out of that fight. “Each fight there is always something you can learn from that. Going the 10-rounds [for the first time] is experience.”
He had one eye on the aforementioned Stevenson, who bested Artem Harutyunyan last weekend. But he believes that while that fight could take place at some point, his path to a world title will initially go in another direction.
“Definitely a Shakur fight would be great for the fans, it’s something we want,” he said. “There is also a guy [Denys] Berinchyk, that recently got the [WBO] belt. I’m all for that. He’s with Top Rank, I’m with Top Rank, I think that could definitely happen as well.
“I think the more likely one to happen is Berinchyk just cause he mentioned my name. I’m down for that fight. I’m not looking past Tevin Farmer but I think that’s definitely a fight that could happen next.”
And to force the issue he intends to make a statement against Farmer.
“I think with a great performance that’ll leave no room to say no and just making that fight happen, [Berinchyk] wants the fight and I want the fight, what more can you say,” he said.
“Stay tuned and don’t miss July 13, you guys are looking at a future world champion and I can’t wait to put on a show for the fans.”
Farmer (33-5-1, 8 KOs) had baptism by fire during the embryonic stages of his pro career, going 7-4-1. However, he earned experience in training camps with the likes of Vasiliy Lomachenko and posted 18 wins to secure an IBF junior lightweight title shot. The quick-fisted Philadelphia native southpaw went to Australia and outboxed Billy Dib (UD 12) for the vacant title and made four successful defenses notably outboxing Francisco Fonseca (UD 12) and Jono Carroll (UD 12) before losing to Joseph Diaz (UD 12).
The 33-year-old took three-and-a-half years off before returning with three wins, but this is a significant step up.
Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich, plus undercard bouts, will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk.
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