By: Sean Crose
The 17-0 Raymond Muratalla started off the ESPN Pay Per View card featuring Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko Saturday night by taking on the 23-2 Jeremia Nakathila in a scheduled 10 round lightweight affair at the MGM Grand in Vegas.
The first was a feeling out process and a rather slow affair. Nakathila slipped in the second, though it was of no consequence. Muratalla caught his man near the end of the round, however, and after a brief rally, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. It was the right call, as there was no doubt Nakatila was taking some serious punishment.
A protege of noted trainer Robert Garcia, Muratalla picked up a couple of minor belts courtesy of his victory. Perhaps even more importantly, he performed in excellent fashion on a major fight card. “This time man, I was so prepared for this fight,” Muratalla said afterward. “Nobody has ever stopped Nakathila. I just stopped him in the second round.”
“I want the winner of the main event,” he said of the Haney-Lomachenko fight.