MARTIN MURRAY’S patience has been rewarded by getting a crack at the WBA interim middleweight title.

The St Helens star will meet unbeaten Venezuelan Jorge Navarro (12-0) for the vacant crown at Manchester Arena on Saturday November 24, on the bill topped by Ricky Hatton’s comeback fight against Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Murray (24-0-1) has been waiting for another big fight since drawing against then WBA super champion Felix Sturm last December.

His manager Neil Marsh said: “Our team could not have worked any harder to secure a very important contest against a hard hitting unbeaten fighter ranked seventh by the WBA.

“We have tried many big names and for whatever reason, whether it be Martin being avoided or boxing politics we can’t make the fights Martin and the public want.

“In the end Navarro was the only one willing to face Martin on November 24.”

Murray will stage a public work-out at St Helens rugby league ground on Saturday and added: “This is a dangerous fight.

“It has been tough getting an opponent, but Navarro is the only fighter ranked in the top ten willing to fight me.”

And a win against heavy handed Navarro who has ten KO wins will move Murray closer to mixing with other elite 160lb boxers.

Navarro, 27, has been boxing professionally for almost six years and holds the WBA Fedalatin crown.

Murray, 30, is ranked third by the WBA in their latest world rankings, four places above dangerous Navarro and their chief supporting bout will be exciting.

There is more world title action on the bill when Scott Quigg (24-0-1) meets Rendall Munroe (24-2-1) in a vacant interim WBA super-bantamweight title return match. Their summer showdown ended in a technical draw after three rounds because of Munroe’s cut right eye.

On the same bill Sergey Rabchenko (21-0) defends his European light-middleweight crown against Frenchman Cedric Vitu (35-1) and Gary Buckland (26-2) put his British super-featherweight crown on the line against Stephen Foster Jr (30-3-1).

Also in action are Hatton Promotions hopefuls Ashley Theophane (32-5-1), James Dickens (12-0), Adam Etches (9-0) and Scott Jenkins (6-0) and Sam O’Maison (3-0).

Ricky Hatton vs. Vyacheslav Senchenko will be shown live on Primetime, Channel 498 on Sky and Virgin-On-Demand, on Saturday 24th November for only £14.95. To order call 0871 200 4444 or go online to www.primetimeboxing.co.uk .