Murray stays on world title trail in war of Attrition
By Jamie Albrecht
John Murray remained firmly on course for a shot at a world title last Saturday night in Wigan, but may have left some spectators with a feeling that he made it much more challenging than in hindsight, it needed to be.
In what became a familiar showcase of gritty machismo from the Manchester lightweight, Murray defended his European crown by outlasting the tough and clearly battle willing Andriy Kudryavstev in a gripping war of attrition that raged for 9 rounds before Murray could halt the advance of the Ukrainian.
The fight began positively for the champion, who looked to take control with the jab and a good range of work to head and body. This process continued unanswered until the 3rd, where Kudryavstev appeared to wake up from a relatively inactive opening spell and offer a degree of resistance to the work of Murray.
Despite Murray obvious fondness for carrying out the bulk of his work on the inside, there were also some moments that suggested that this may have not been the most effective method available in overcoming Kudryavstsev. From the 5th, the champion remained more successful on the outside than in. Kudryatsev harboured a confused look when faced with skilful boxing, much preferring to attempt to dominate Murray at his own game, trading stamina sapping shots in the centre of the ring whilst at close quarters. Murray’s movement around the ring (which at times in his career has seemed non-existent) fazed the challenger and gave Murray a valuable added dimension to his repertoire.
in contrast to the aforementioned means of success, the fight soon reverted back to form, as the 6th highlighted to the audience that both men were looking to wear each other down with hard punches to the head and body, which would ultimately lead to a late stoppage.
Eventually the pressure tactics paid off for the 25 year old champion. With Kudryavstev showing signs of exhaustion and allowing Murray to tee off at will, it was simply a matter of time for the end to come. The referee ended the fight after a staggering challenger was once again caught with a beautiful right hand in the ninth. The performance once again showed the heart of Murray, as well as his value in pleasing the crowd. The only real worry is his lack of body movement, which at times can be a little too static. Friday night did indeed show that Murray is capable of boxing proficiently on the move. This is a trait that could well be needed rather urgently as he inevitably makes the considerable leap from the European to the world stage, an advance that Murray relishes; “We are targeting anyone in the division, I showed my quality tonight...I’d love a world title shot before Christmas”.
With the lightweight division enjoying a proverbial buzz of excitement with the presences of fighters such as Knockout sensation Michael Katsidis and pound for pound artist Juan Manuel Marquez within its ranks, the entrance of John Murray into potential World championship class is an appealing prospect. The man who as of yet can’t stop winning, could once again, like his idol Ricky Hatton, have the Manchester fight fans singing...
yes after a lovely sunday carvery !