John Murray's Euro Dream is Turning into a Nightmare

Boxing Scene Terence Dooley25th March, 2010

John Murray's long-drawn-out shot at the vacant European Boxing Union lightweight title was left in disarray last night when Andrei Kudriavtsev, who was mandated by the EBU to face Murray for the title vacated by Anthony Mezaache, withdrew from negotiations at the eleventh hour.

Indeed, the 33-year-old Ukrainian is no longer under consideration as a potential opponent and the EBU have offered Lee McAllister - defeated by Murray in January of last year - the opportunity to face John for the vacant belt.

Lee recently pulled out of a proposed Commonwealth title defence against Ben Murphy on the David Haye versus John Ruiz undercard due to an elbow injury. Should the fighter accept the EBU's offer he will have 'three months within which to make the necessary arrangements for the contest to take place' as per 6.1.1 of the EBU regulations.

This latest development has left Murray's trainer, Joe Gallagher, bemused. "I'm hearing mixed reports. At the moment I'm hearing that the EBU have called for John Murray versus Lee McAllister, who is next in line in the ratings, to go out to purse bids. Then I had a call contradicting that," revealed Gallagher.

"I gather that Kudriavtsev's team pulled out off a deal and turned their backs on the purse bids. You'd have to talk to [Murray's promoter] Mick Hennessy or [manager] Mike Marsden, as all we've got at the moment is hand-me-down information. Mike is in America and is trying to get clarification from Mick Hennessey."

Andrei could now be hit by a 1500euro fine and banned from contesting the EBU title for a six-month period. McAllister, it would seem, has a gilt-edged chance to rematch Murray with three titles, British, Commonwealth and European, on the line. However, this fight, unlike the proposed Mezaache one, will not double-up as a world title eliminator, Murray has dropped four places to #12 in the latest batch of rankings, Londoner Kevin Mitchell now occupies Murray's former slot.

"Lee talks a good fight and he'd certainly be up for it but John is absolutely gutted," confessed Gallagher. "It is coming up to 25 weeks since he last fought. Manny Pacquiao has fought twice since John's last fight! I don't know if this is politics amongst the higher circles, this kid should have the ambition to fight for the European title and I'm sure he was offered great money, though I don't know the details. This kid has a win and a loss against Mezaache so he was a good opponent. Why wait until the night before negotiations are concluded only to pull out off the fight?

"Maybe they are trying to curtail John Murray and slow him down. Listen, John was in the gym today doing five five-minute rounds with Anthony Crolla in preparation for Crolla's next fight. Anthony was a bit worried as he thought John may take his frustrations out on him!" laughed the trainer.

"John will not be denied. Look at how he fights. He craves that belt, he wants it and he will get his hands on someone and take that belt from them. I'm sure Lee would love to have [promoter] Tommy Gilmour win the purse bids for a fight so they can take us into an open-air venue in (Lee's hometown of) Aberdeen and dictate the size of the ring, we'd prefer the fight here in Manchester but will have to wait and see."

McAllister started brightly when challenging Murray for the British title but was broken down and taken out by the Mancunian. Since that night, the 'Aberdeen Assassin' has been in good form, though he blotted his copybook last time out with a tepid points win over Sam Amoako, and he will go into a Murray replay a rejuvenated man. Gallagher, though, believes otherwise.

"Time is a great healer, Lee has won four fights since he fought John and got the Commonwealth belt by beating Godfriend Sowah. That said, Lee had a tough time with John last time, he got hit with body shots and the realisation of what he was facing kicked in for him. Lee could have carried on that night but he looked at the corner and quit, once the quit is in you it never comes out and if he fights John again he'll get that same realisation again," blasted Gallagher.

"It is a shame for John Murray. He's liked in the pro game and is a no-nonsense kid. How unlucky can the kid get, it is pure heartbreak. He beats Thaxton and the talk was of [Michael] Katsidis and [Juan] Diaz only to see Kevin Mitchell step up in weight and get Prescott, which gets Kevin an interim world title shot against Katsidis."

Was Gallagher left rueing the fact that they turned down a March 19th Shobox showcase against Henry Lundy? "No," was his bullish reply. "We made the decision at the time and hindsight is a great thing.

"If you have an EBU fight on one hand in front of your adoring fans and an overseas, two-weeks notice American job against a kid who is not going to get you a higher ranking on the other then how does that add up? If you look at Nathan Cleverly, Kevin Mitchell and Kell Brook, would any of them take or be expected to take that type of fight? I don't think they would.

"Hindsight is a great thing, we could have gone out there just to take a job, done things in a rush and messed up, then we'd be talking a tale of woe. I know that John wants to fight. John wants a fight defending the British in the meantime to keep the belt outright, why not get one of those on?

"We will be asking the BBBoC if we can make a voluntary defence of the British belt in order to keep the kid active. Martin Gethin would be ideal. He's the English lightweight champion, why not put the two champions in together? I hope [British Boxing Board of Control General Secretary] Robert Smith takes pity on John Murray and puts him in for Gethin. Martin has paid his dues; he's been unlucky and deserves a break, just like John does. It would be a good fight between a worthy champion and challenger."

Murray himself sounded jaded when I spoke to him over the phone, he was waiting on further news, hopeful that the EBU situation would be resolved quickly as well as feeling confused about the whys and wherefores of this latest bout of misfortune.

"It has done my head in to be honest. I'm not sure why it has gone like this; I just got told that he'd pulled out at the last minute so the option to fight me is going to Lee McAllister. I am gutted, devastated, and pissed off," sighed Murray.

"The Thaxton fight was twenty-five weeks ago this Saturday. Purse bids for me and Mezaache was initially up for October the 30th of last year and they were pushed back by agreement on both sides only for a possible March date to fall through because Mezaache vacated the title in February. This Ukrainian steps in and then decides he doesn't want to fight me. Now I'm left with Lee McAllister, who is injured. I'm not sure where this leaves me," said the 28-0 (16) fighter.

"I'm just really frustrated. I'm willing to fight all the time. I was hoping for a fight after Thaxton but wanted to wait because I really want to be European champion. It is looking May possibly June before I fight again. This could be my longest break from boxing but I've actually been in the gym this whole time, no messing around."

Murray understands that Andrei must do what is best for his own career but was disappointed that a fellow fighter had left him on the shelf in this way. "I am annoyed at him a little bit, yeah," murmured Murray.

"He could have got a European title shot and worked towards a world title. Why not take the fight? But it is done and dusted now so I might as well just move on. I'd like to get a British defence in. I'm in shape and can do two or three weeks notice for my Lonsdale belt.

"I'm a fighter and am in training, I just want to fight. I've got no lingering doubts about the sport. I'm skint again now and am in the scenario I was in after the [Lee] Meager fight, when I had to wait a while for my next fight. I've got rent and bills like anyone else and need to be out there earning money."

Murray, though, is convinced that he has the mental fortitude required to negotiate the tricky, treacherous waters of contention. "It is out my hands, I just train and fight, and wait for the fights to happen. I'm doing everything I can at my end. Whoever I fight next had better be ready because I'm gunning for them," declared the 25-year-old fighter.

Mick Hennessy and Mike Marsden were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.