By Terence Dooley
Manchester’s Joe Murray fights for his first title this Saturday night when meeting George Gachechiladze over twelve rounds for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental featherweight strap on a Ricky Hatton promoted bill at Wigan’s Robin Park Arena. Murray fought in the 2008 Olympics, turned pro with a points win over Sid Razak in March 2009 and has since built a 10-0 (5) slate.
‘Genius’, younger brother to lightweight contender John Murray, trains out of Gallagher’s Gym, the Kerry Kayes-owned, CNP-promoted base is chockablock with titles at the moment. Murray believes that he will add to the belt collection come the conclusion of his maiden title tilt.
“I feel like I improved a lot since my first eight round fights against [former EBU title challenger] Yuriy Voronin and Daniel Kodjo Sassou. I controlled the fight a lot more with my jab against Sassou and picked some good body shots. Kodjo went down from a shot to the body, which shows how hard I punch down there, and from a shot to the head as well. I am glad I didn’t stop him because I wanted to show people that I can get the eight rounds,” enthused Murray ahead of Saturday’s fight.
“Going into the seventh of that one, I thought it was actually the eighth as the ring card girl held up the wrong number so I got a bit confused. I kept going strong because I didn’t feel tired in there.
“The Voronin fight was a learning curve for me. I thought I was going to stop the kid because when I hit him it looked like I’d hurt him and could take him out. It shows that in the pro game you can wobble a guy but it doesn’t mean they are out. They come back stronger. I learned a lot from that first eight rounder and kept my focus in the second, even though I had the kid down twice I had learned not to rush in and give the guy an opportunity.
“Voronin was my toughest fight because I kept hurting him but was going back to the corner wondering how he was still standing. Why was he coming out for more rounds? Every time I wobbled him he’d let me come forward and try to tag me with his southpaw straight right hand. It was a blessing for me. It showed me that these fights are harder than people think.
“This one’s in Wigan so it isn’t far for my fans to travel. It builds a good fan base around the northwest. People will travel to local places to see these learning fights and my first title fight. It is better for me than boxing down London because it is hard for my family to get down there. They are normal working-class people. It is better for them that I’m building myself up in the northwest. I could have boxed in Mexico [on the undercard of Saul Alvarez versus Ryan Rhodes] but I preferred to box in Wigan.”
Murray won a World Amateur Championship bronze medal during his amateur career. There is plenty of online footage of the 24-year-old, giving his opponents the chance to do their homework. Joe, though, prefers to think about his own game rather than dwelling on his foes.
“I know what I can do,” said Murray. “People might watch my videos and think I can only box one way. I’m not really fussed that people know about me, the reality closes in on the night and gives them a shock.
“You can’t really judge someone from one or two fights. You have to see more of a fighter to know what they can really do. This is why I leave watching the tapes to my trainer [Joe Gallagher] because I might look at a few fights and then they don’t do the same things when they’re in there with me. Different fighters make different types of fights, this is what makes boxing a great sport – it is always difficult to predict the outcome.”
Weighing between 128-132lbs during his career thus far, Murray is keen to keep his options open before committing his long-term future to either the super-bantam or featherweight division. Saturday’s fight will net him a title and a ranking yet the ABA silver medalist believes that he is still a work in progress and should keep an open mind as to his future title trajectory.
“I look at the super-bantamweight and featherweight domestic division as I’m not sure which one I’ll stay in yet. Both divisions are wide open. At featherweight the main two guys are Stephen Smith and John Simpson. Stephen trains at our gym so that (a fight with Smith) isn’t an option,” mused Murray.
“If Stephen gave the Commonwealth belt up then I’d love to fight for that but I’m taking one step at a time. I focus on myself and not on other people. If you focus on other fighters then you might not sleep at night. Whatever title comes up, I will grab it with both hands.
“Me and Stephen went to England camps together as amateurs so there is no rivalry there. Having a double champion like Stephen at the gym gives me confidence in myself. Stephen has only had 12 fights and is British and Commonwealth champion, it shows that you can be moved on quickly.”
Murray trains alongside experienced pros John Murray, Anthony Crolla, Matthew Macklin, Paul Smith and Stephen Smith, and Callum Johnson. “We’ve got a great team in the gym,” he stated.
“I am the baby. Matthew is going for a world title (against WBA boss Felix Sturm), Stephen has two titles, my brother has won the domestic and European titles – most of them have got or have had titles. I’m just a normal fighter trying to catch up to these guys.
“I hold my own with them in training so when I go into fights I think to myself, ‘I can do what they’re doing’. They are not just standard fighters winning titles on luck. They mostly scored knockouts to get their belts or beat experienced guys. That gives me a lot of confidence.
“Matt and John could soon have world titles, Crolla is going for the European and Stephen has his belts to defend. I’m not mithered who I fight. Joe, the Hattons and [manager] Mike [Marsden] decide that. I don’t really watch the fighters I could end up fighting because that could be my downfall. I might watch them and then underestimate them because watching a fight on tape is a different story.”
Rendall Munroe, Jason Booth and Scott Quigg, Murray’s promotional stablemate, rule the roost domestically down at 122lbs. Murray has sparred many rounds with Munroe. Indeed, the ‘Boxing Bin Man’ has waxed lyrical about Joe’s potential, once telling me that the youngster always gives him quality rounds.
“I think Rendall said I was one of his hardest sparring partners”, confirmed Murray, “and he always brought me in for his toughest fights. That gives me a lot of confidence because Rendall travels a lot and often goes to other gyms to spar the best he can get. The fact he also came here for a few of his sessions with me is a big compliment for myself because he must enjoy sparring with me. Not many people get the opportunity to spar someone like Rendall.”
It took Murray three fights and a combined total of fourteen rounds before he scored his first stoppage – a single stanza TKO win over Delroy Spencer in September 2009. Naturally there were question marks raised over his clout. Murray, however, never doubted that the hurtfulness of his own shots. Saying, “I’ve always believed in my power.”
“People kept telling me that I wasn’t a puncher because I went the distance in my first three fights but if you look at the guys I was facing you see they were naturally bigger than me. Joe wanted me to learn how to cope with the experienced pros instead of trying to go out there with people I could blast out in a round. It stops you from freezing after a few rounds.
“Those first three fights were a perfect start to the pros because they taught me how to place my shots and do the rounds. When I started stopping people I still knew not to rush in because in the pros these kids can take a few shots, buy some rest and then come back at you stronger in the later rounds. Once I knew I could hurt them, I still took my time and picked my shots.”
Gachechiladze is no stranger to these shores; the 24-year-old lost on points to Rhys Roberts over ten rounds in an International Masters title fight in November. Craig Lyon stopped him in six rounds at the Robin Park venue last April. Murray feels that he has the measure of the 8-5-1 (1) Georgian despite only recently receiving word of the change of opponent after original foe Alfred Tetteh withdrew from the scheduled bout.
“I used to go abroad as an amateur and have to fight people I might have never heard of,” insists Murray. “I just train hard, keep to myself and keep fit. We’ve got a good camp with top ten fighters training besides me. I shouldn’t worry about my opponents because as long as I’m keeping up with my mates at the gym then I know I am doing OK.”
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