BoxRec

Being announced tomorrow, looking like November 21st. Cracking fight I think the styles will gel and it'll be a very close fight. Hope Martin can pull it off. Who wins?

I've gone for Murray points, because I really really hope he can.

That's perhaps not the most objective assessment of the outcome of a fight but I would love to see Martin win a title.

He's done it the hard way every time and deserves a more straight forward shot and surely Abraham is an easier assignment than Sturm away, Martinez away and Golovkin (anywhere, let's be honest)

I don't think it'll be easy, Abraham is solid if not spectacular and Martin doesn't have the tools or power to stop him IMO.

So getting an away win on the scorecards (I'm assuming it's in Germany) will be a huge ask. But he's been so very, very close so many times against guys that IMO are better than AA.
Martin looks comfortable up at SMW and if he can provide the kind of performance he did against Martinez and Sturm and show the toughness he did against Golovkin he certainly won't get stopped and should, I think, get the win.

I don't think Martin will have slipped any from those earlier showings at world level and I recokon the ambition will still be there and he'll see this as his last, best opportunity to make it as a world champion.

AA on points, I think Murray is too tough to get starched in the way Stieglitz did, though I wouldn't completely rule it out.

I think there's a level between Abraham and the absolute top of the 168 division, guys like Ward and Froch in his day of course. But they are/were exceptional fighters. I think Abraham is a level above guys like Murray.

I don't like Abrahams style of fighting he seems to just walk around with the ear muff's on until the last 30 second's of each round he then start's throwing punch's to steal the round he is very predictable and boring I hope Murray out work's him and takes the title from him it should be easy just throw punch's because Arthur is a very good wicket keeper........HE CATCH'S PLENTY

Just can't see Murray doing enough to win in Germany.

He doesn't have the power to stop Abraham.

Could be an awful clash of styles, both are very defensive with constant high guards. Murray might be able to out work AA at this point tho, so I'll go for Murray on points.

Good fight both stylistically and for Murray to have a decent chance. Murray is solid and if he fought the AA that fought Paul Smith first time round, he wins. Looking forward to this one.

Maybe I'm speaking too soon, but it would seem the extra weight has indeed given murray a boost.

He's seems less static and has more movement. But it will be a tall order to go to Germany and defeat Abraham.

Murray came close in Argentina against a better boxer, but Arthur has a subtle way of taking the play away from his opponent when he wants to.

I forecast a close result.

Good luck to Murray. No-one can fault his willingness to travel for his title shots, for which he deserves a ton of respect.

Theres no option for Murray to win the fight but get another dodgy away decision?

Murray doesn't do enough.

He's not knocking Abraham out and he won't get a decision.

Great match. Murray can do it, although he may need the rub of the green as it's in Germany and he's not likely to stop AA

Even match up - think it likely being in Germany means Abraham is favorite. Voted Draw.

Could be a bit of a dull watch with their peek a boo styles clashing, but should be interesting nonetheless.

Not sure what Murrays done at SMW (as much as Paul Smith anyway) to justify a World Title shot but can’t begrudge him another shot after Sturm, Golovkin and Martinez.

Murray takes the fight to Abraham and roughs him up,outworks,outhustles him to get the decision he shouldve got in Argentina

TheLeprechaun wrote:Murray doesn't do enough.

He's not knocking Abraham out and he won't get a decision.

I agree with most of this except I think he will do more than Smith did in either of his attempts. Moving up a division seems to have helped Murray although we're yet to see any proof of that against a decent opponent. Murray's problem is that he's an honest and consistent operator but never seems capable of stepping up a level when he really needs it. When Abraham fights he will outclass him while Murray will be trying to outwork him the rest of the time.

I think it will be a close distance fight with some people crying robbery no matter who wins.

Murray needs to be busy though.

Abraham on points.

Fight will go the same as all of Abraham's fights, he'll fight in bursts, Murray will try to outwork him, mostly land on the gloves all fight, then claim he's been robbed.

SD, will be disputed. Not sure who for...

Just can't see Murray getting over the line at world level, he just doesn't seem to be able to take charge of a fight or raise the pace, against foreign champs in their backyard its just not enough to "stay with em"

I think Murray outboxes him and wins comfortably. Scorecards will be closer than they should be but yeah, i can see murray scoring enough punches to win most rounds.

Bobbyptsd wrote:AA on points, I think Murray is too tough to get starched in the way Stieglitz did, though I wouldn't completely rule it out.

I think there's a level between Abraham and the absolute top of the 168 division, guys like Ward and Froch in his day of course. But they are/were exceptional fighters. I think Abraham is a level above guys like Murray.

Totally agree

Would be great if Martin won this. DeGale vs Murray all British unification fight. Groves comeback on the undercard, calling out the winner.

It shows you how far the SMW division has fallen mind you. Abraham was toyed with by Ward and Froch and looked well on his way to a one sided points loss to Dirrell. Murray got beaten from pillar to post by Golovkin. And Ring magazine have Abraham as top dog! If Murray wins this, will he be number one in the division? Wow. And I used to take the piss out of middleweight for being weak.

I think it's clearly Degale at the top and having Abraham as number one is a complete joke, especially as Dirrell is rated at 5 and did a number on him before. I know Dirrell hasn't done very much since then but still, he's clearly a good fighter. The rest of the division mew... Stieglitz, Jack, Groves, Anthony Dirrell... None of them are great are they? They're not bad fighters but it's not like the good old days where you had Froch and Kessler and Ward and all the super 6, or the end of Calzaghe's reign. It's been my favorite division over the years but LHW seems to be murderer's row at the moment. Super middleweight always seemed more like junior light heavyweight to me, smaller light heavies that could probably move up. But I just see all of these guys getting decapitated at LHW. They're a fragile bunch most of them.

good point clopix , but we all know that there are better middleweights waiting to come up and Golovkin would probably unify here and now .

G0mez wrote:Maybe I'm speaking too soon, but it would seem the extra weight has indeed given murray a boost.

He's seems less static and has more movement. But it will be a tall order to go to Germany and defeat Abraham.

Murray came close in Argentina against a better boxer, but Arthur has a subtle way of taking the play away from his opponent when he wants to.

I forecast a close result.

I'm afraid I have to disagree. I think Martin hasn't shown anything of note since moving up, in fact I think he's been slow and plodding. He's lost the one thing that gave him the edge over his opponents, his size.

Is the poll results so far a reflection of what people think is going to happen, or rather what people hope will happen, as I don't think many see Murray as our best or most exciting operator but he had built a lot of goodwill from boxing fans by being brave and fighting the best. Is it just that he deserves it, rather than he is actually going to do it?

The posts on here indicate he is up against it