Eddie Hearn Mentions 130 as Possible Next Step for Andy Cruz

Andy Cruz left Las Vegas with his first professional loss and an uncomfortable truth. Lightweight may be asking too much of him right now.

Eddie Hearn did not sugarcoat it. After Cruz dropped a twelve-round majority decision to IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla, Hearn openly raised the idea of a move down to super featherweight. Not as an excuse. As a correction.

“Andy, I think he may move to 130, because he makes the weight very easy,” Hearn said. “When you’re up against a big, strong 135-pounder, sometimes that pressure can give you problems.”

Cruz is 30. The amateur pedigree is deep. The professional schooling is still ongoing.

Why the size gap showed

This was Cruz’s first twelve-round fight and his first world title attempt as a professional. Muratalla did not need flash or pace changes. He applied pressure, stayed in Cruz’s chest, and made rounds hard to separate.

Hearn called the fight competitive and still accepted the result. Muratalla earned it. One card aside, the pattern was clear.

Cruz spent long stretches boxing off the back foot. Clean work, sharp movement, then long pauses. Against a pressure fighter comfortable leaning and throwing in volume, that style leaves rounds open.

“I don’t think he’s happy with his performance,” Hearn said. “I think Bozy would have wanted him to be a little bit more aggressive, let his hands go a little bit more. He wasn’t good enough on the night.”

That last line landed harder than any scorecard.

At 135, Cruz is not dealing with quick exits and short fights. He is dealing with fighters who can take shots, walk through moments, and keep forcing work in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh rounds.

Cruz’s amateur base was built on timing, distance, and point scoring. The professional version requires sustained output, especially when the opponent refuses to reset.

What comes next decides everything

Hearn made it clear there is no rush to decide. No opponent is set. No division is locked.

“In his next performance, it’ll tell us if it was too early,” Hearn said. “We’ll see how much he’s learned from tonight.”

That next fight will answer the real question. Was this a growing pain at lightweight, or a signal that 130 pounds better suits Cruz’s strengths?

At lightweight, size and pressure will keep showing up. At super featherweight, Cruz may find cleaner terms.

The response, not the talk, will tell the story.