By Alexey Sukachev
Martin Murray (34-4-1, 16KOs) won a twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Nuhu Lawal (23-1, 13KOs) for the WBA Continental Super Middleweight title in Monte-Carlo. The scores were 116-111, 117-110, 117-110.
Murray, 34, looked like a fighter from an entirely different weight class against the smaller, lighter Lawal, also 34. Short in arm reach and lacking one-punch knockout power, the Nigerian was forced to jump into the close quarters with wide, raw swings - both righty and lefty - trying to catch Murray flush.
It was, however, the Brit who got the first word, rocking Lawal with a huge right hand to the chin in round one. Lawal recovered well but was unable to find his distance and to deliver heat to Murray up until late into the fight. He was trying hard but every time he touched the Brit, it didn't affect the latter, and Murray also clinched when needed. The WBC #13 rated British fighter has got several stern warning from referee Russell Mora in the midst of the fight.
As round went by Lawal started to show signs of fatigue. He looked drained in the eighth, and the ninth was all hell for him, as Murray landed an assortment of hard blows both at the ropes and in the center of the ring to almost stop Lawal on his feet. After a miraculous survival in the ninth, Lawal was also hit blatantly in the tenth but showed grit and dogged perseverance to fight his best and to give Murray fits in the closing rounds.
Lawal was the WBA Inter-Continental Middleweight crown having stopped Istvan Szili inside six rounds for the title in June, and crashing into the WBA rankings at number 12. The Nigerian-born German grabbed this opportunity on late-notice after doctors ruled original Dmitry Chudinov out of the bout with a virus. And Chudinov was a replacement for former world champion Arthur Abraham.
Murray is looking to move back into World title contention in 2017, and the St Helens favourite says he’s firing on all cylinders again after defeat to George Groves where he revealed that illness during camp played a big part in his performance.
“Four weeks before I boxed George I was flying in the gym,” said Murray. “If I'd fought him then the outcome would have been completely different. I peaked and then I got ill, I took a couple of courses of antibiotics leading into the fight, so when I fought there was nothing in me. I was shocking and I felt flat.
“I'd been training for the whole year basically so that with the illness took a lot out of me, I didn't do anything in the first half of the fight but I still nearly pulled it out of the bag at the end. I wasn't expecting to lose so when I did, it took a lot out of me.
