Andy Cruz’s road back to a title shot could be shorter than expected, as Jake Donovan reports that the IBF has ordered him to face unbeaten Albert Bell in a final eliminator.
Cruz (6-1, 3 KO), whose ludicrous amateur pedigree prompted a fast-tracked pro career, is coming off a terrific losing effort against reigning champion Raymond Muratalla in one of the better fights of 2026. Tossing losers right back into eliminators is a pet peeve of mine, but between the fact that Cruz just barely came up short and the fact that Lucas Bahdi initially got the call to meet Bell (28-0, 9 KO), this one’s more tolerable than most.
“Prince” spent a goodly amount of time as the WBO’s top contender at 130, but the sanctioning body never wound up calling his number, prompting a move to 135 following a year-long layoff. He’s 2-0 at his new weight, taking all 20 rounds on all six scorecards and securing one of the IBF’s many trinkets to secure his top spot in the rankings.
