How good was Murray Sutherland

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 03 Jan 2004, 01:02

I would like to ask you how good was he, what was his height, and why he dropped from light heavyweight to supermiddleweight to win the first ever IBF supermiddleweight title? Can anyone know and tell me please?

wouter · Post by **wouter** » 03 Jan 2004, 08:35

I suppose he was a "small" light-heavyweight and the introduction of the super middleweight class gave him a chance to fight men of his weight.

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 03 Jan 2004, 13:47

What was Murray Sutherland's height?

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 04 Jan 2004, 09:54

An old copy of The Ring, or their record book will probably tell you - in fact I just realised I have a Ring record book...I checked and he was six foot exactly.

The Scot was a tough SOB, coming back from a rough early career to fight his way to the top of the light heavies.
I remember watching his fight with Matt Saad on TV in the USA. I had to keep switching channels as Tommy Hearns ( I think ) was fighting at the same time on another station.

Put up a great show too and gave Saad a real battle. Then Miracle Matthew staged his customary late rally to win.
The reason he moved to the newly created super middles was that he'd tried and failed twice at light heavy - and talent in the SMiddles was thin on the ground, giving him a great late chance at finaly winning a title.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 04 Jan 2004, 13:08

He was a typical canny Scot, loaded with grit and boxing ability, but not a punch. He gave Hearns a good distance fight, which speaks for itself.

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 04 Jan 2004, 14:15

Thank you Mighty Warrior and Bennie for bringing up the answers for me.

zurdo · Post by **zurdo** » 07 Jan 2004, 03:10

Definately a real grinder...a very tough dude

He was kind of lanky and rangy I would say he was probably about 6'1

In his fight with Hearns he looked to be close to the same height as Tommy...
not a lot of natural talent ...A guy who got a lot out of pluck and being in top condition..

I also saw both of his fights with Micheal Spinks In the first one he battled ruggedly and went the whole ten rounds with the rising prospect Spinks in 1980 (I think mMurry was knocked down a couple of times) In the rematch two years later for the WBA title Murry was game as ever ..but Spinks really laid the wood to him pretty bad and knocked him out in six or seven rounds

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 07 Jan 2004, 17:26

Ahh Murray Sutherland, I thought everybody had forgotton about him. Now here was a geniune British world champion that NEVER gets discussed.

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 07 Jan 2004, 19:24

Thank you for that infomation and tell me why Sutherland never fought in the Untied Kingdom in his entire career?

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 07 Jan 2004, 19:30

kovit wrote:Thank you for that infomation and tell me why Sutherland never fought in the Untied Kingdom in his entire career?

If my memory serves me correctly, he didn't box as an amateur, but graduated to professional boxing from Art Dore's "Toughman" competition in the States.
I seem to remember Dore managed Murray as a pro...

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 07 Jan 2004, 23:44

Thank you Bennie for the story and what kind of style in boxing does Sutherland fight like. For example: Boxer, Boxer-puncher, banger, counter-puncher, and the brawler. How does Sutherland's fighting style like?

zurdo · Post by **zurdo** » 10 Jan 2004, 17:34

kovit wrote:Thank you Bennie for the story and what kind of style in boxing does Sutherland fight like. For example: Boxer, Boxer-puncher, banger, counter-puncher, and the brawler. How does Sutherland's fighting style like?

Sutheland was basically a swarmer he had some decent boxing skills but mosly he won by volume punching being agressive and being in good shape ,he had very good stamina he fought a lot too so I don't think he was ever out of shape

Sutherland had a good knockout percentage but he was not a big banger..

The vast majority of his knockouts came against C and D level opponents h on the midwestern club circut

Broncano · Post by **Broncano** » 10 Jan 2004, 21:52

Yes, I agree with zurdo in that he basically built up his record fighting in the Midwest. I read once that Sutherland hooked with a Tough Man contests promoter and this promoter would add a legitimate boxing match (usually featuring Sutherland) to his Tough Man shows.

But don't forget he went the distance with Tommy Hearns when everyone expected him to get koed, and also, he scored a big upset over Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos, who at the time was being carefully brought up as the next big thing in the middleweights, (which of course he wasn't and Murray helped us find this out a little sooner than Ramos' handlers would've wanted to.)

I also remember him as a gutsy, agressive fighter. But most of all as what you can a call "a first class opponent", meaning one who you can count is going to stand in against the best without embarrasing himself. We often hear boxers say that they would fight anyone, anywhere at any weight and most of the times its a bunch of bull. Well, I don't know if Sutherland ever said it, but if he did, he was for real.

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 10 Jan 2004, 23:01

Thank you guys for the information for me.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 11 Jan 2004, 08:40

I remember Sutherland well, he was a very gutsy courageous fighter who, if he were around now would have won a world title much easier and held it much longer. He could do a bit of everything, box, punch, slug it out... and I think his best assets was his heart and stamina. His record speaks for itself... to give the likes of Saad, Spinks and Hearns tough battles says it all.... shame he never fought in England.... does anyone know what he's doing now?...