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Martin Murray’s shot at a world title comes tonight at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany, which perhaps is a tad premature. Murray 23-0 with 10 KO’s, has a major step up in class against the seasoned WBA super middleweight champion Felix Sturm, 36-2-1 with 15 KO’s,
Murray started his pro career at the end of 2007, but it was his 10th fight that really got him noticed as he entered ‘Prize-fighter’. He won the tournament after sweeping each of his match ups on points and he won it well.
From there, it has been the usual climb up the domestic rankings, perhaps with a small boost on the back of Prize-fighter. Murray currently holds the British, Commonwealth and the WBA inter-continental middleweight titles.
Sturm has been sat at the top of the middleweight division for quite some time. Not the most exciting boxer in the world, but what he does do, he does very well, and the Germans love him for it.
He turned pro back in 2001; by his 19th fight he had won the WBO middleweight title. He defended it against Ruben Varon and then faced Oscar De La Hoya, who was aiming at adding a middleweight belt to his list of accomplishments.
This was the first time Sturm had fought outside his native Germany, and in a dubious decision, De La Hoya was given the win, resulting in Sturm’s first loss.
Sturm went home and challenged for the vacant WBO Inter-continetal belt. After picking that up and defending it a few times, he went for the WBA belt. He won that, defended it once and then lost it by stoppage to Javier Castillejo, his only loss inside the distance to date.
He faced Castillejo in a rematch for the same title and won on points. Sturm has held the same title since 2007, and defended it 10 times, against good opponents.
Apart from facing Castillejo and De La Hoya, both great fighters, Sturm has fought Sebastian Sylvester, Khoren Gevor, Giovanni Lorenzo, Ronald Hearns and Matt Macklin.
Albeit all of these defences have been in German, Sturm does not like to fight away.
Murray has no where near as much of a shining resume, but if Sturm’s got the record and the experience, then Murray has the hunger, the youth, the undefeated moniker and he has a huge fighting heart.
Neither fighter here has a huge punch, but they are not feather-fisted either. Murray has a 43% KO ratio and Sturm has 38%. Both have good chins as well.
Sturm tends to switch off and cover up through a lot of his rounds, through a high held guard that is common for a lot of German fighters, waiting until the closing stages and then attack, thus stealing the round in some judge’s eyes. He has gone twelve rounds countless times and is comfortable doing so.
Murray has only ever been 12 rounds once before, and that was against Peter Mitrevski Jr. Not exactly an elite level fighter.
Murray goes in as a huge underdog and you have to admire his confidence. Be seems ready within himself, physically and mentally, but will need to wage the fight of his life if he is to rip the title away from Sturm in the German’s back garden.
It is not impossible but it is a big ask.
