A switch to 130 pounds immediately puts Cruz (6-1, 3 KOs) into one of boxing’s deepest weight classes. It also creates interesting possibilities within Matchroom Boxing, which promotes both IBF champion Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez and former featherweight titleholder Ray Ford.

Matchroom has several options for Cruz at 130 pounds, including in-house matchups with Ford and Nunez, giving the promotional company another highly skilled contender in a division already filled with established names.

Cruz built one of the most decorated amateur careers in boxing before turning professional, capturing Olympic gold and multiple world championships while earning a reputation as one of the sport’s finest technicians. Although his transition to the paid ranks was smooth at first, Muratalla handed him a majority decision defeat in January, exposing the difficulty of climbing the lightweight division.

Rather than continue chasing opportunities at 135 pounds, Cruz has opted for a fresh beginning at super featherweight, where his height, reach and technical ability may allow him to become an immediate factor if the weight cut proves manageable.

Cruz’s immediate focus remains Abraham Montoya this Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. A victory would send him into the super featherweight division on a winning note and give him a chance to quickly establish himself among the contenders at 130 pounds.