St Helens may be famous for Rugby League, but Martin Murray is
keen to put the Merseyside town on the boxing map.
The unbeaten middleweight, 29, came within a whisker of winning
a world title when he drew with then WBA king Felix Sturm in
Germany last December.
And he's hoping to get another tilt at global honours before the
end of the year.
Murray is targeting a meeting with unified world champ Daniel
Geale while a potential WBA interim title fight as also been
mooted.
If those clashes come off it will end months of frustration.
Fights with fellow Brits Matthew Macklin and Darren Barker have
failed to materialise while a shot at recently dethroned WBC
champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr fell through due to visa
issues.
"I was annoyed when I never got the Chavez fight. We knew there
was going to be issues over my visa but we were confident it would
be sorted out," Murray told HattonBoxing.
"It got pulled because Bob Arum wanted us in America within ten
days which just wasn't enough time to get everything sorted.
"At the end of the day it's down to me why I had problems with
my visa in the first place so I can't blame anyone else. I wasn't
always on my best behaviour in the past so it was my fault.
"But everything happens for a reason, I'm a firm believer in
that and I'm confident we'll get everything sorted so I can fight
in American soon."
If Murray can fulfil his dream of becoming a world champion, he
hopes to one day engage in a big outdoor fight at the home of his
beloved rugby club.
"There's been a lot of talk of me fighting at St Helen's new
stadium, Langtree Park. When I've been to matches there and when
I've spoken to fans and board members they've all seemed keen on
putting the fights on there.
"If I was to box in St Helens I'd want to do it proud and sell
it out so it's all about getting the right fight."
That fight is unlikely to feature the aforementioned Macklin and
Barker, though. Both have received big offers from Hatton
Promotions but decided that they would rather go down a different
path.
"We've put to them both and got nowhere," Martin said. "They've
had good offers and they've chosen not to take the fight.
"Macklin's mouthed off saying I've nothing to scare him and I'll
be an easy fight but if I'm that easy for him he'd take it because
it'd be good money for him.
"I've spoken to Barker and we said we'd get it on at some stage
but he's been injured."
He added: "I don't need them now anyway because they've got
nothing I want whereas Geale has got world titles and I want
'em."
18/09/2012 17:48:44