Although Thompson was talking about Dr. Gonzo, AKA Oscar Zeta Acosta, played brilliantly by Benicio del Toro in the film adaptation of the book, the quote above could have easily been applied to Manchester’s John Murray during the time when the former English, British, EBU lightweight Champion and WBA world title challenger was mixing fighting and winning titles with embarking on epic benders.
Dust mites. Even the tidiest of homes have them. You find them floating about in gyms too, which is not a huge surprise as it is alleged that they are partially composed of bits of dead human skin. Boxers wrap and care for their hands yet after a few rounds of punching the friction on and within the wraps will turn them into the equivalent of cheese graters. When you take them off they serrate the top layer of epidermis before sending it floating out into the air. Movement stirs them up, creating magic carpets of dust when they float across a beam of light.
Former welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-2, 25 KOs) has been taking a lot of heat from the critics, and some fighters, for the outcome of last Saturday's fight with Errol Spence. Brook was making a mandatory defense of his IBF welterweight title against Spence before a crowd of 27,000 at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. The fight was competitive for seven rounds, before Spence started taking over around the eight. Brook went down in the tenth, and then took a voluntary knee for the full count in the eleventh round.
Faced with the risk of permanent blindness had he chosen to continue his career, lightweight contender John Murray officially announced his retirement from the sport Wednesday evening. One month shy of his 30th birthday, Murray (33-3, 20KOs) was hoping for one more run towards a major title, though the effort has proven to be an uphill climb in recent times. The all-action Brit suffered a 10th round stoppage at the hands of fellow Mancunian Anthony Crolla in April, with all three career losses coming in his past five contests.
There are lots of quotes in the media from the management of Australian featherweight Joel Brunker saying that their man will be taking on Lee Selby in an IBF final eliminator, but to date there has been no word of confirmation from the other side. That’s because no deal has officially been done yet. That doesn’t mean it wont get done, though. Quite the opposite. Word has it that Selby’s connections are very happy, not only with Brunker, but also with the prospect of going down the IBF route. Expect an announcement confirming this one within a couple of weeks at the most – with Cardiff the likely venue, and the fight being staged in September or October.
By December 2012, Manchester’s John Murray was at a crossroads, literally, his boxing license had been revoked due to a failed brain scan on the eve of his aborted comeback fight against Gavin Rees and he had to join a pipe digging crew to make ends meet. Adrift from the sport that had defined him, the money he secured in his WBA world title fight with Brandon Rios sunk into a house that he no longer lived in, he had gone from forging his own road in the sport to creating space for gas pipes.
In a classic Battle of Manchester, WBO I/C lightweight champion Anthony Crolla overcame a very rocky start to continue his rally to an occasional world title shot with an impressive tenth-round stoppage of comebacking former world title challenger John Murray. Murray (now 33-3, 20 KOs) came back in November 2013 after two years off the ring and stopped little-known Michael Escobar. His stock raised much higher a month ago, when he also stopped well-known domestic contender John Simpson. Murray, 29, picked up where he had left against WBO #6 Crolla. He used his physical power and punch output to force the defending champion on the defensive. Murray was all over Crolla, throwing and landing numerous punches from different angles.
Undefeated rising star Scott Quigg is feeling very confident ahead of his WBA super-bantamweight title fight with South African Tshifhiwa Munyai in Manchester on Saturday night. Also on the card, best friends become best enemies as former gym mates Anthony Crolla and John Murray collide in a fight where both men have promised to close the show with massive knockouts. Plus watch all of the undercard weights.
Word out of Carl Froch’s training camp is that the Cobra is taking his preparations for next month’s rematch with George Groves deadly seriously. And to hone his edge even further, the champion has literally been taking himself out of his comfort zone. Froch leaves his partner and children on a Monday morning and heads for Sheffield, where his camp is based. Instead of returning home at the end of the day, Froch is now sharing a room in Sheffield with a member of the Team GB amateur squad. It’s almost a return to student days, and a far cry from the luxury he’s used to, but his self-enforced Spartan regime suits his mood of getting back to basics.
John Murray wants a big win over local rival Anthony Crolla this weekend to boost his chances of a world title shot. The two Manchester lightweights clash in-front of their home fans at the city's Phones 4u Arena on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, with more than just local bragging rights at stake. Murray returned to the ring last November following a two-year absence with victory over Michael Escobar, and last time out he defeated John Simpson in impressive fashion with a second round stoppage, flooring the Scotsman three times in the process.