Martin Murray Faces Tetteh on 4/23, Golovkin on Radar

By Mesuli Zifo

AFTER shocking the boxing world by signing with South African promotion powerhouse Golden Gloves Promotion(GGP) British star Martin Murray will make his long awaited début under the promotion when he takes on Ishmael Tetteh of Ghana in a 10 rounds middleweight clash at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg on April 23.

The 31-year-old cut ties with Ricky Hatton Promotion and penned a pact with GGP despite offers from other promotion powerhouses in the world.

While details of the monetary value of the deal was not disclosed, it is believed that GGP's close ties with the camp of WBA/IBO middleweight king Gennady Golovkin played a major role in influencing Murray to find his next promotion home in Africa.

Now he will travelled to the continent for the first time when he takes on Tetteh in a warm clash before featuring in a GGP show in Monte Carlo in June.

Berman says the decision to sign Murray was not a difficult one as he was able to understand his frustration over the direction to which his career was going.

“It was not hard really because we feel that we can offer what Martin wants and this fight against Tetteh is the first of what we will do together,” Berman said.

Having lost once in 28 bouts when he was adjudged a loser to Sergio Martinez for the WBC crown in Argentina last April when he bundled Maravilla to the canvas in the eight round, Murray is considered one of the top dogs in the middleweight division which can provide several intriguing matchups.

The staunch Liverpool FC supporter, was also unfortunate not to walk away with the WBA crown when his clash against Felix Sturm was declared a draw when most ringsiders had Murray winning comfortable in Germany in 2011.

Now Murray wants to swing back to the title mix with his target set on Golovkin who is short of a marquee opponent in the division.

“We are taking one step at a time and the clash against Golovkin is also in our radar,” reasoned Berman.

Tetteh is not expected to present any danger to Murray's quest for boxing summit as he has lost 10 times and drawn twice in 41 bouts.

Tetteh's last visit to South Africa was a disastrous one when he was stopped in five rounds by Joseph Makaringe although their 2006 welterweight bout was stopped prematurely when Tetteh was fighting back with gusto.

Nicknamed “Black Roy Jones Jnr.”, a weird moniker when considering that Roy Jones is actually black, Tetteh has never won a bout outside his native Ghana where he is nothing of a hero either as he has failed to win even the national titles of his country.
However he will present Murray with an opportunity to dust the cobwebs before the Brit launches a serious bid to a world title shot.