Joe Gallagher column

Manchester Evening News Joe Gallagher29th April, 2010

You'd be forgiven for thinking John Murray had joined Jamie Moore in retiring - he's been out of the ring that long.

But next week he will leave the boxing world in no doubt that he is here to stay when he finally gets the European title shot he's been waiting seven long months for.

I keep telling him he's coming out of retirement, it's been that long since I've seen him in action.

It was last October at a rocking Altrincham Leisure Centre that he proved himself Britain's supreme lightweight with victory against Jon Thaxton and the world should have been his oyster.

Instead, he's seen European title fights with Anthony Mezaache, Andrei Kudriatsev and Lee McAllister all fall through.

But a week on Friday he will take on Gary Buckland for the vacant title, as well as defend his British title in the biggest fight of his life.

Prepare for lift-off because John is ready to make up for lost time.

It's been incredibly frustrating for him to watch Kevin Mitchell steal all the limelight in the lightweight ranks with his fantastic win against Breidis Prescott last December, which has earned him a shot at WBO champ Michael Katsidis next month.

Should he win and Murray claim the European title then Britain's two most exciting lightweights are destined to meet - and that would be huge.

But before that John has to do the business against Gary Buckland.

The fact that John had to take the fight at such short notice is something of a leveller - but we will not take Buckland lightly.

He will be thinking he's Rocky Balboa at the moment. He's been given his chance out of the blue and can make himself a hero overnight.

We need only look at what Craig Watson achieved two weeks ago when winning the Commonwealth light-middleweight title after getting less than a week's notice, to see what can happen when someone sees their chance.

Buckland will see this as the biggest of giant-killings - but we're not going to let that happen.

John has waited too long for this chance to let it slip through his fingers. He knows he's destined to challenge for world titles and this will be the fight that sees him announce himself to the world.

Victory for him could be the start of what I see as a golden month for British boxing.

A week later, Mitchell can become world champion against Katsidis, while Amir Khan makes his US debut against Paulie Malignaggi.

In the future, who is to say those young, supremely talented fighters won't make up an unforgettable three-way feud?

But John's got to do his job first - and having waited this long for his big chance, you can guarantee he won't disappoint.

It would be great to think that one day John will be fighting in the kind of bouts that capture the attention of the world - and the eyes of the globe will certainly be on Floyd Mayweather's clash with Shane Moseley in the early hours of Sunday.

Moseley will be a major test for Mayweather but I still see the Pretty Boy having too much.

He is too cute and too quick for Moseley, who has sparred with John before and been at ringside for his fights.

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