John Murray Returns, Calls for Derry Mathews Showdown

By Terence Dooley

Manchester’s John Murray (10st) moved to 32-2 (19) at the city’s Bowlers Exhibition Centre with a fourth-round RSF win over Spain-based Nicaraguan Michael Esbobar in a scheduled six-threes contest on Friday night.  Escobar (10st 10lbs) was dropped once in the third and twice in the fourth round — a left uppercut to the head then the final, decisive left hook to the body — and was counted out at 1:43 of the session.  Escobar drops to 7-11 (3).  He came out swinging harder than a bored suburban couple and put in a freewheeling performance before succumbing to Murray’s cleaner work.

Murray, 28, hopes to fight again before the turn of the year, and he signaled his title intent when speaking to BoxingScene after the fight, which was promoted by Dave Coldwell of Coldwell Boxing.  “It feels unbelievable, I enjoyed everything about it: the fight preparation, coming down to the venue, getting bandaged up, everything,” he said.

“I’m very fortunate to have had the two years out at the point of my career that I did because I’m still young enough to enjoy the sport and get something out of the game.  A lot of fighters get to the stage I was at, but they’re 32, 33 and can’t get anything out of the sport.  I’ve come back at the right time, I’m the hungriest I’ve been since I turned pro at 18, and that’s made me a very dangerous man.  They don’t call me ‘The Machine’ because I’m a poor trainer — I’m a very, very hard trainer.  I am looking forward to getting out into a very hot lightweight division, cracking some heads and becoming the best in the country.

“Just getting back in there put me in the mood, but I was a bit rusty and I think it showed.  I got caught with a few shots I shouldn’t have got caught with and wasn’t at my best, but it was good overall — and it got better with every round it went on.

“He was perfect for me to go out there, work the jab and do the things we’ve worked on in training.  I was walking people down in recent fights, you hit me and I hit you, last man standing stuff — I need to get a bit more technical about my work.  I’m getting older, I’m getting wiser now, have a lot of experience and can make things easier for myself.  I’m going to be a different fighter, but still an exciting fighter, and that’s why the fans love me.  I’m still young in boxing, still want a world title and want to move on.”

Mike Marsden, Murray’s manager and trainer, had asked his charge to work his jab.  Once Murray put his left out with some regularity it allowed him to bring over rights and drop in body shots.  Murray intends to continue working behind his left in future fights.

“I’ve got a really good jab, when I use it is unbelievable and I need to use it more to get longevity in my career,” he said.  “I can make it easier, break them down behind the jab, get less damage and work on things.”

Murray spent two years on the shelf following his December 2011 11th-round TKO stoppage loss to Brandon Rios.  The former English, British, European and WBA world title challenger was diagnosed with a swollen pituitary gland last November and his career was left dangling by a thread.

“I’ve hated the sport since not being able to do it,” admitted Murray.  “I’d see kids coming through on TV and think: ‘Why are they in there and not me?’  Obviously I was out for medical reasons, fair enough, but it’s been a hard two years for me, I’ve been down but have come through it and want to prove everyone wrong to show what a quality fighter I am.”

Murray quickly targeted the cream of the British lightweight division, with Liverpool’s resurgent Commonwealth titlist Derry Mathews one of his targets.

“No one in the lightweight division can beat me, I’m confident that I can beat everyone of them,” he declared.  “If Derry wants to go for it then we’ll go for it, I’m confident that I would knock him out.

“Anyone who wants to fight me can fight me, I’ve not ducked anyone in my career and won’t start now.  I’ll speak to my manager first then take it from there.  Maybe one more like this before Christmas to get me going again then a big fight in January or February.”

Escobar’s erratic style was hard to read, and the visiting fighter landed a couple of shots in the early going to remind Murray that he was back in the hurt business.  He said: “Yeah, it blew the cobwebs clean off, didn’t it?

“I just went in, wanted to settle in the first three rounds and then get the knockout, I’m pleased with the knockout win.  I’m back in the gym on Monday.  Normally, I’d have a fight then go missing for three months, but that’s in the past.  I’m looking forward to going back in on Monday.  There’s a lot of big fights out there.

“In the past, I had nothing to do after my fights so I’d get back on the beer, but I’ve got a routine now of training people at the gym and have my children as well to keep me level headed.  I think as successful as the first stage of my career was, I’m a different fighter mentally at this point in my life now, and that makes a difference.

“I’m been living clean for six months now.  I’d go for seven-day benders, have a few days off then crack on again.  We’ve had our daughter recently — the kids keep me levelheaded.”

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