Martin Murray gets a third world title shot

by Group Cpt Lionel Mandrake Wed 18 Dec 2013, 1:33 pm

He'll have to do a hell of a lot better than he did in his last outing to have any chance. Fighting on the Golovkin undercard. His opponent has already lost to Billy Joe Saunders which suggests this wont be a hard night's work for Murray but you never know...

http://www.hattonboxing.com/promotions/press-releases/2013/12/martin-murray-get-third-world-title-fight

MARTIN MURRAY will look to fulfil his dream of becoming St Helens' first ever world champion in Monte Carlo on February 1.

The popular middleweight, 31, will take on Australia's highly rated Jarrod Fletcher for the vacant WBA title at Salle des Etoiles and will be hoping to make it third time lucky.

Murray has contested world honours twice already, drawing with Felix Sturm in December 2011 and controversially being outpointed by Sergio Martinez in April this year.

"I've been unlucky before so I'm made up that I've got this opportunity on February 1," Martin said.

"Jarrod Fletcher is a good kid. I've not seen too much of him, but we'll working on that now we've got a date. He's got a good pedigree and he beat James DeGale in the amateurs, which isn't easy and proves he's a good fighter.

"He's going to be well up for this, but I think I'll be the favourite and rightly so, given who I've fought before and how I've done against them.

"It's going to be interesting for both of us, but I want everyone to know that there's no way I'm coming home to St Helens without that world title."

Fletcher lost inside two rounds to Billy Joe Saunders in 2012, but has won five fights since and is the WBA's number three ranked contender.

Richard Poxon, Hatton Promotions' director of boxing, said: "I can't give any certainties in life, but one thing I guarantee is that Jarrrod Fletcher will be coming into the fight with every intention of taking that title back to Australia.

"Nobody should make the mistake that this is a walk in the park for Martin and all he's got to do is turn up because that's how people slip on banana skins and end up with nothing.

"This is a proper fight for a proper world title and Fletcher will be training hard somewhere now with the sole intention of beating Martin Murray on February 1st.

Murray v Fletcher is the chief supporting contest to Gennady Golovkin's WBA 'Super' middleweight title clash with Osumanu Adama on Golden Gloves' Night of Champions.

by catchweight Wed 18 Dec 2013, 1:45 pm

Another one of these "imaginary friend" world titles is it? Murray and Golovkin both fighting stiffs for world titles by the same company on the same bill. Funny stuff. How about they lose the stiffs and fight each other? Or is that too crazy these days?

by Gerry SA Wed 18 Dec 2013, 1:54 pm

"This is a proper fight for a proper world title and Fletcher will be training hard somewhere now with the sole intention of beating Martin Murray on February 1st."

This paragraph made me laugh.

'Proper world title'

Who they kidding?

Golovkin is the WBA champion, Murray(assuming he blows away this stiff) will be no more than a paper champion

by AlexHuckerby Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:14 pm

Fletcher isn't a stiff, but he isn't world class.

by KingMonkey Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:20 pm

Wait, so GGG is the super champion? What titles does he hold?

by WHU_Champo_League_in_7Yrs Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:32 pm

Obviously they want them both to be world champions thrn have them face off on the HBO date GGG has after the monte carlo card

Stay busy fight to get a bit more hype going, can't really complain as long as they do square off as it'll be a really good fight as Murray is no mug and the biggest middleweight GGG will have fought to date

by AlexHuckerby Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:35 pm

It's just Murray Vs GGG after.

by KingMonkey Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:44 pm

So long as they square off..... That's the key. The alternative is Murray becomming a champion a la Quigg and defending it vs a real stiff.

by WHU_Champo_League_in_7Yrs Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:50 pm

Murray really isn't in a position to turn down a slot on HBO at present so I can see it happening

Macklin needs a couple wins and barker may not fight again and neither would generate the money GGG would

by mobilemaster8 Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:50 pm

Wow. Boxing really is quickly going down the Poopie. Its embarrassing that Murray will be called a World Champion if he batters this lad.

Quigg mark 2.

Absolute bonkers.

by AlexHuckerby Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:51 pm

Think Murray would actually stand an ok chance against GGG, maybe at least testing him further than anyone else, he's extremely durable and tactically he's generally pretty good, not a huge puncher but hits hard enough to gain respect, coming in fully focused with a gameplan and full of confidence, think he stands a better chance than any other opponent GGG has faced.

by hazharrison Wed 18 Dec 2013, 2:54 pm

Martinez is the champ -- rest contenders.

by wheelchair1991 Wed 18 Dec 2013, 3:44 pm

great another fake world champion along with scott quigg

by jimdig Wed 18 Dec 2013, 3:45 pm

When I read the title I thought Murray was going to fight ggg. Stupid WBA.

by Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn Wed 18 Dec 2013, 3:53 pm

I love how Sky just call it "the vacant WBA title" as if GGG has give it up or something.

I can't see Murray being competitive against GGG. The state of him in his last fight. Golovkin would murder him. So this was the "massive news" that fat idiot Hatton was talking about on Saturday

by wheelchair1991 Wed 18 Dec 2013, 3:56 pm

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:I love how Sky just call it "the vacant WBA title" as if GGG has give it up or something.

I can't see Murray being competitive against GGG. The state of him in his last fight. Golovkin would murder him. So this was the "massive news" that fat idiot Hatton was talking about on Saturday

I guess so reborn, didn't hatton look a mess

by Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn Wed 18 Dec 2013, 3:59 pm

His face looks worse every time he's on tv.

by wheelchair1991 Wed 18 Dec 2013, 4:02 pm

I know its very sad to see he was one of my favourite boxers, even though he did come out with ridiculous comments like 'I was winning the second round against manny by a mile'

by Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn Wed 18 Dec 2013, 4:32 pm

Haha yea, then manny must have been winning the 1st round by a thousand miles

by spencerclarke Wed 18 Dec 2013, 7:43 pm

Well I dont think anyone could have guessed this opponent. I would expect they are on the same card to build up a fight between the two further down the line. If this is the fight available you cant blame Murray though. He's gone in with two world champions and been unlucky so far so if this can make him some money and give him more bargaining power why would he turn it down? We all know it doesnt make him the number one in the devision but why not work the system like everyone else?

by KingMonkey Thu 19 Dec 2013, 7:20 am

Fair enough, work the 'system' but I think the consensus is that fans are tired of being mugged off.

Decent enough card fight but not a world title.

Quigg isn't a champ. Murray won't be a champ. Yet we'll have them paraded around like heroes. They're kidding themselves above all else.

by Boxtthis Thu 19 Dec 2013, 9:56 am

Who was the guy on that other thread saying multiple belts was a good thing for the sport? Ridiculous. They've just created a 'world champion' out of thin air. I don't blame Murray for going for it, but it better lead to a 'unification' with GGG.

by Gerry SA Thu 19 Dec 2013, 10:09 am

Boxtthis wrote:Who was the guy on that other thread saying multiple belts was a good thing for the sport? Ridiculous. They've just created a 'world champion' out of thin air. I don't blame Murray for going for it, but it better lead to a 'unification' with GGG.

WBA rarely enforce mandatory unification fight.

Golovkin(WBA 'interim' then promoted to 'regular')was Sturm's(WBA promoted to 'Super champion) mandatory for 18 months, but they never approved the fight.

When Quigg was upgrade to 'WBA regular paper champion', WBA said he has to Rigondeaux within 6 months. It's been three and a half months and the fights still not be made compulsory.

It took 3 years for the WBA to make Povetkin fight Wlad...

by Gerry SA Thu 19 Dec 2013, 10:18 am

Just read somewhere that the WBA claim their multiple titles are beneficial to boxing.

They've now got 4 'world championship belts'

WBA 'Super' Champion
WBA 'unified' Champion
WBA 'Regular' Champion
WBA 'interim' Champion

It's getting beyond farcical.

by mobilemaster8 Thu 19 Dec 2013, 11:59 am

All we need to know though is that GGG is THE only WBA World Champion.

by Valero's Conscience Thu 19 Dec 2013, 12:24 pm

Joke, joke, joke!

It's a disgrace there are 4 legit World Bodies to start with and then for each to have multiple titles is laughable.

I remember a conversation with a mate who is only a casual fan a few years ago when Haye fought Valuev. When he won he was like"so Haye's THE HW champ?" I then had to explain the situation of the different bodies. If I had to go into details about the Silver,Super, bronze champs etc it would of blew his mind!

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 19 Dec 2013, 1:03 pm

For me it's a case of 'tell someone enough and they will believe you' when it comes to World Titles.

When they had a couple of World titles knocking around they could pull out this garbage of Super Champion and regular champion...people just about bought into it and media etc alike hyped fighters as two weight world champions and all the other nonsense when someone grabbed a belt.

However it's fast becoming a case of 'tell someone too much and they shall begin to feel you protest to much'. People are no longer buying into these bogus titles....even casual fans are shrugging their shoulders when they hear of 'World Title' fights these days.

Much like everything in life, people can only be a sold a lie/take so much so many times before they stand up and have their voices heard. I think that will be the case some point in the future with boxing fans and even fighters. Martinez has public declared it a farce, as has Ward and to an extent Mayweather.

Lest we forget that this year we have had Rigondeux vs Donaire, Wlad vs Povetkin, Mayweather vs Alvarez, Bradley vs Marquez & Garcia vs Matthysse....so that's arguably 5 fights where the best in the division have fought each other. I can't remember that happening on such a regular basis for quite some....thus showing that title's are becoming obsolete to a certain degree as now the best are having to fight the best because that's where the money is!

by KingMonkey Thu 19 Dec 2013, 1:17 pm

Titles have been a nonsense for God knows how long. The other year Brook beat Matthew Hatton and walked out of the ring with two belts, to this day I don't have a clue what they were but it looked impressive.

Joe Gallagher posted a photo of his stable of fighters in the gym the other week. Amir Khan was on it too. They were all displaying belts and I've no idea what half of them were.

by Valero's Conscience Thu 19 Dec 2013, 2:29 pm

I don't think the belts do look impressive unless the true one of that governing body.

Some belts look truly awful as well, especially some of the lesser WBC ones, a bit like a tacky WWF strap!

Whenever I hear someone being a world champ I check the actual title he has. A bit like when Hatton won his WBU belt, which I'm sure he classes as one of his World titles.

by TopHat24/7 Thu 19 Dec 2013, 2:38 pm

KingMonkey wrote:Titles have been a nonsense for God knows how long. The other year Brook beat Matthew Hatton and walked out of the ring with two belts, to this day I don't have a clue what they were but it looked impressive.

WBA Inter-continental and IBF International, apparently.

by KingMonkey Thu 19 Dec 2013, 3:33 pm

Enough said.

by Gerry SA Tue 31 Dec 2013, 1:21 am

Martin Murray's 'title shot' has been cancelled after the WBA refused to promoted Gennady Golovkin to WBA 'Super' Champion.

Martin Martin will still defend his WBA 'interim' title on 15th Feb.

Unsurprisingly, Murray wants no piece of GGG, and his promoter is trying to get a rematch with Sturm.

by AlexHuckerby Tue 31 Dec 2013, 1:34 am

I watched aninterview with Eddie Hearn and he was saying it was going to be a fight for the interim belt. Which to me and every other boxing fan isn't a real world title. Looks like Fast Car was right on that one.

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