WHILE the future of IBF champion Vasyl Lomachenko remains unclear, unbeaten contender Raymond Muratalla is looking to accelerate his world title charge.
It was announced yesterday that the 28-year-old will collide with Zaur Abdullaev for the IBF interim strap, with the winner putting himself in a far stronger position to take on pound-for-pound phenom Lomachenko, 18-3 (12 KOs).
Their clash β featuring on the undercard of a Top Rank show headlined by Emanuel Navarrete vs Charly Suarez β takes place at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, on May 10.
Muratalla, 22-0 (17 KOs), has emerged as one of the most talented operators at 135lbs, ending the majority of his fights with a blistering finish inside the distance.
Against former world champion Tevin Farmer, though, βDangerβ was forced to overcome a series of challenges before hearing the final bell last July.
Yet still, the American nonetheless produced an assertive performance to claim a unanimous decision victory in his first genuine acid test as a professional.
Abdullaev, 20-1 (12 KOs), meanwhile, has amassed nine wins since his devastating fourth-round stoppage defeat to former lightweight king Devin Haney back in 2019.
Among those he has bested are Jorge Linares, Roger Gutierrez and Ricardo Nunez, with all of whom, while perhaps being somewhat over the hill, representing sturdy campaigners at fringe world level.
As for the future of Lomachenkoβs career, it is difficult to say, with a large degree of certainty, whether the vastly skilled technician will sail off into the sunset or have one last roll of the dice.
