By Terence Dooley
Manchester’s John Murray had cause for a double celebration this week. The “Murray Machine” became a father and also learned that the BBBoC have cleared him to fight again, pending successful completion of a medical. Murray had been forced to withdraw from a 2012 showdown with domestic lightweight rival Gavin Rees because of a swollen pituitary gland and worked as a road digger while waiting to find out if he would ever fight again.
Murray had been due to meet Rees last November only to see the Board’s stringent, and impeccable, safety procedures temporarily throw his future into disarray. Now, though, the 28-year-old former English, British and European champion has been given the green light to resume his boxing career.
“Mike [Marsden, his manager] says I was given the all-clear to apply for my license yesterday,” said Murray when confirming the news to BoxingScene. “I just need to get my medical done again — because it is a while since I’ve had them — and get back on it in the gym. I’m happy, people won’t see me around again for a bit now because I’ll be in the gym getting ready to fight. The baby [a little girl] is doing well, she sleeps most of the time!"
Murray’s last fight was a torrid 11th-round stoppage loss to Brandon Rios for the WBA 135lb title in December 2011. Prior to this, Kevin Mitchell stopped him in the eight round of a brutal war. The Mitchell defeat halted Murray’s 31-fight undefeated run, but he said that the rest has done him good and expects to come back stronger.
“There’s two losses on my record now, Mitchell and Rios, but there are a few more years in me yet, no matter what people say,” added Murray.
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