Ringside Boxing Report: John Murray vs. Lee McAllister
© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Last night at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan, England, Hennessy Sports hosted a fight night which saw Manchester’s John Murray successfully defend his British Lightweight title for the first time in a gruelling contest against ‘Aberdeen Assassin’ Lee McAllister.
A sea of yellow t-shirts awaited McAllister, as the Sex Pistols rang out around the arena followed by the Proclaimers. Entering the ring alongside trainer Dave Coldwell and British Light Middleweight Champion Ryan Rhodes, a grinning McAllister was clearly enjoying the support from the many Aberdeen fans who had made the trip to Wigan.
Champion Murray entered the ring to the sounds of ‘Johnny Be Goode’ alongside trainer Joe Gallagher and John’s brother Joe Murray, who carried the British Championship belt aloft.
Murray lands with a swinging right in the opening half minute of the first round, but McAllister looks sharp – his head punches breaking through the guard of Murray. It’s a fast start with McAllister having the better work-rate in this opening round.
McAllister keeps up the relentless pace, continuously whipping out the jab. Murray lands a right hook to the face of McAllister and the Aberdeen man stops and gives Murray a broad grin as if to say ‘that didn’t bother me’ before carrying on and winning the next exchange of shots.
Murray has taken a lot of head punches already and McAllister now throws a smart uppercut. Murray hasn’t yet settled in but has better success in the closing seconds of round two, forcing McAllister back against the ropes.
McAllister’s defence is low and he is caught by several of Murray’s head-punches. But the Aberdeen boxer continues to smile as if he’s really enjoying himself!
Murray starts to settle in as they begin round three and he delivers a solid right hand to the face of the challenger but McAllister doesn’t seem fazed by the shots.
Murray backs McAllister into the corner and lands a barrage of shots to the head – the Murray crowd begin to cheer as McAllister is pressured in the corner but as Murray breaks-off from the action – McAllister dips with hands nearly resting on knees and grins widely at Murray, almost laughing at him.
He ’allows’ Murray to ’give him some more’ with an almost ’come on – I can take it’ attitude. As the bell signals the end of the round, McAllister grins again with a ‘you were pretty good’ look and playfully rubs the top of Murray’s head with his glove. A stony-faced Murray pushes the Scot’s arm away as he goes to his corner.
McAllister throws the uppercut as they come out for the fourth round and he keeps focussed without the kidding around of the previous frame. Murray is a little quieter this round. As the bell signals the end of the frame – McAllister’s uppercut lands right on the bell.
Murray looks to have let his shot go at the same time but it lands a split second after the bell and McAllister then throws another with Murray returning the favour. Referee John Keane jumps between both men and reprimands them.
McAllister offers a glove to Murray, but the popular Mancunian was in no mood for niceties and trainer Joe Gallagher urges him back to the corner.
Round five and both men come out ‘fired-up’. McAllister’s nose is bleeding and trainer Coldwell is shouting to him to ‘Move!’. It’s a messy round as both men grapple with each other, McAllister talking during the clinch.
Heads rub together as the two fighters come to close quarters on the ropes. Murray lands a couple of shots and McAllister practically ‘offers’ his face to him for some more, ‘Come on’, he beckons to Murray.
Grinning again – McAllister does a bit of show-boating and Murray drives forward with determination. McAllister, smiling, nods an ‘I enjoyed that’ at Murray as the bell sounds, but Coldwell is keen to get his charge back to the corner to clean-up his bloodied face.
As the sixth round begins, Murray almost leans on McAllister before stepping off-balance. Referee Keane calls them both together, gesturing to Murray about shoving’.
As the two men re-join the fight, McAllister almost holds down Murray’s head with the left before landing with a good right uppercut.
The sixth is a bit scrappy at times with both men nearly going through the ropes at one point. Murray’s shots are straying a little low in the closing half minute of the round and he’s told to keep them up. McAllister hasn’t looked as sharp this round, but still ends it with a grin!
It’s a rough and scrappy start to round seven as both men grapple and fall against the ropes. McAllister continues to snap out the left straight and uses the right to pop-out the hooks. Murray is warned again by Keane for some ‘rough tactics’.
McAllister seems undeterred by the numerous head-shots but when Murray starts to land punches to the body, the Scot is clearly feeling them. Again, McAllister nods and smiles at the end of the round.
But after just 44 seconds of round eight have passed, Murray lands a sickening left hook to the body of McAllister and the Aberdeen man drops to the canvas. Shaking his head at his corner, Lee McAllister gets to his feet and Keane calls a halt to the contest.
Afterward, arm in arm, both fighters spoke to ITV presenter Jim Rosenthall. McAllister gave credit to Murray but said he would still like a re-match.
“I proved he belonged in this class,” said McAllister. “I still think I’ve got the style to beat him…I’ll come down again tomorrow. It wasn’t so much his strength – but he caught me with that body-shot; ten out of ten. It was a crackin body-shot to be honest.”
Murray also gave credit to McAllister before saying “Forget [Amir] Khan, I’d like to fight Jon Thaxton.”
Support bouts:
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10 x 3 Light Welterweight Contest
Daws wins by TKO round 6
Tyson Fury (Manchester) vs. Marcel Zeller (Germany)
4 x 3 Heavyweight Contest
Fury wins by TKO Round 3
Zahid Kaput (Dewsbury) vs. Howard Daley (Preston)
4 x 3 Heavyweight Contest
Kahut wins on points
Chris Goodwin (Chester) vs. John Baguley (Rotherham)
4 x 3 Lightweight Contest
Goodwin wins on points
Scott Evans (Stourbridge) vs. Matt Seawright (Tamworth)
4 x 3 Light Welterweight Contest
Evans wins on points
Kevin Buckley (Chester) vs. Mo Khaled (Sheffield)
4 x 3 Super-featherweight Contest
Buckley wins on points
Ali Shah (Blackburn) vs. Karl Taylor (Birmingham)
4 x 3 Welterweight Contest
Shah wins on points