Ringside Report Discusses Boxer Martin Murray

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

Having the opportunity to fight on the 5th time for a world title, was special. The fact is, to me, and many others he won the world title the first time he tried. And then, when he tried the third time, he won it again. Unfortunately, in Germany and in Argentina, the judges were unable to agree with me and Martin Murray, 39-6-1, 17 KO’s, retired without one world title to his name.

I shall never forget that night in Germany though.

I had been aware of Murray but had never caught him fighting live. It was a night where the white ring was the first time, I had seen such a thing live. It stuck with me; so did the unfairness of it all.

Murray had by then been a professional since his debut in 2007 and earned the right to be in the ring a world title challenger through the ranks of becoming the Prizefighter Champion by beating Cello Renda in a final at York hall in 2008, then becoming Commonwealth middleweight champion in 2010, when he beat Peter Mitrevski, JR. with a 12 round points win in 2011 in Bolton, before taking the British title against Nick Blackwell in 2011, at Robin Park in Wigan.

And then late in 2011, on the 2nd of December 2011 he had the champion, Felix Sturm in the other corner. He was the WBA champion. 12 rounds. In Mannheim, Germany. It ended a split decision draw. I ended up with my jaw on the floor. Some have said it was a tight fight and it was, much of it could have swung either way, but the dispassionate amongst us, looking back again at the action came to one conclusion. Murray won. Not comfortably but he won. Had he fought Sturm in his own backyard in England, he might well have come away with the victory.

Just under a year later, on the 24th of November, against Jorge Navarro he won the interim WBA title by stopping Navarro in the 6th round. The venue? Manchester arena, England…

Five months on… he had another date with a full title – the WBC version of the middleweight title that hung around the waist of one Sergio Martinez. He floored Martinez, not once but twice as he tried to take the world title from Martinez, a ring legend. The venue? Buenos Aires, Argentina. The result? Three judges went with Martinez by the same margin. The fact was that for the second time, Murray was robbed.

Then came a fight with Gennady Golovkin for the WBA, IBO and WBC interim world middleweight championships. From one ring legend, he walked into the ring with another. The venue?

Monaco. A neutral one that was not in anyone’s back yard, though it was Golovkin’s third annual defense in Monaco. This time he was stopped. Having managed into the 11th round he was unable to manage to hold onto Golovkin as the unanswered shots were enough for the referee to halt the punishment he was taking. Murray was well behind when it was stopped and of the three world title fights, this may have been the mid-point. Having been at the top of his profession, he was now plateauing. It was the 21st of February 2015, Murray had another 6 years to go in the ring.

Once again, he rebuilt and his next opportunity for a world title was to go back to Germany and face Arthur Abraham for the WBO super middleweight title. Murray once more seemed to do enough for all apart from… you guessed it … the judges. Abraham won a split decision and for the fourth time, he failed to lift a title. The loss of a point in the 11th for holding was not what lost him the fight, but it certainly didn’t help. This time he wasn’t robbed but this was Abraham’s 48th fight as a pro. A highly competitive fight, another were in their prime, but both were there for the taking. This time round, once more Murray did not get the luck. It was exactly nine months after the Golovkin defeat.

Murray never ducked a fight, and he always took on the best.

Four shots, one draw, one split decision, a controversial loss and a stoppage to a monster with “thudding” shots.

Murray could have retired but he built once more. Taking on George Groves in a fight he lost in June 2016 in the 02 Arena, London. He got himself back into contention by taking on and defeating Roberto Garcia, and then losing to Hassan N’Dam. All the losses meant was that his name was out there, the fights meant he was still competitive. The activity meant he could be used to push world level fighters.

And then along came another opportunity…

Having gained enough ranking points he was in contention for the WBO to sanction his challenge against Billy Joe Saunders in his remarkable fifth world title tilt.

The truth is that nobody really thought Murray was anything other than a pair of shorts to be filled to get Saunders ready for a big fight. Saunders shook off the ring rust, couldn’t stop Murray and then exhibited the respect for his opponent that he sometimes failed to find with others. Murray not only earned it outside the ring, but he also showed why he should be respected in it. Saunders beat Murray on points in a fair fight that was tough for him but a fair enough contest that it was worthy of being a title fight and enough of a challenge to ensure that Billy Joe got what he needed and aside from a pay cheque, Murray got another title defeat.

It has been an amazing watch. From that Sturm fight when I was incandescent, the respect I have for Murray is probably greater than for any other fighter. His retirement after the loss to Saunders showed his heart and his head in unison. The applause we all shared shows the admiration for him throughout the business.

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