Since a career defining performance in which he upset the odds to draw with WBA Super Champ Felix Sturm, St.Helens Middleweight Martin Murray has found opportunities hard to come by. Murray has become a victim of his own success.
After the fight being so close, Murray’s camp expected Sturm to offer them a rematch as he did with Matthew Macklin and Randy Griffin but negotiations proved fruitless. “Sturm knew in that fight he wasn’t hurting me, he couldn’t hurt me, and he knows that if we fought again, I’d beat him. He doesn’t want anything to do with me whatsoever,” Murray told ThaBoxingVoice.com.
Murray appeared to have received his second crack at a world title when the opportunity to fight WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr presented itself at short notice. However, the fight fell through when complications prohibited him from getting a US visa in time for the fight. “Obviously, I was disappointed at the time but we’re applying for the visa and we’re pretty sure we’ll get it. I can’t see there being any future problems.”
With all Middleweight champions tied up with scheduled defenses, a bout with domestic rival Matthew Macklin looked likely, as both had called for the fight on numerous occasions in the media and on twitter but negotiations broke down as Matthew priced himself out of the fight. “He got offered a good amount of money, we both did, more than we both got for Sturm and he knocked it back. I know why he knocked it back, he sees me as a proper threat and if I beat him he’s finished,” he proclaimed.
After all those setbacks Murray faced French champion Karim Achour in a 10 round stay busy fight in June on the Quigg vs. Munroe undercard, a contest which the St.Helens man struggled to get excited about. “I trained like mad for that fight, I got myself in great condition but it wasn’t an opponent I could get up for. No disrespect to him but I’ve had harder spars,” Murray confessed.
With that second World title challenge still proving elusive Murray may be forced to make a mandatory defense of his British title against Commonwealth champion Billy Joe Saunders, although he feels this is a step in the wrong direction. “If I’m honest that’s a step backwards for me, I’m looking for bigger than him and hopefully we’re going to get them but if we don’t and push comes to shove, it’s got to be Billy Joe Saunders.”
A potential battle with former world title challenger Darren Barker for the soon to be vacant European belt is a prospect which Murray finds more appealing. “They are the type of fights I want, the type of fights I’d take in the blink of an eye. We’ll need to see what happens with that belt but I’m getting back in the gym next week, getting fit, and just looking forward to my next fight.”