John Murray vs. Anthony Crolla on 4/19 at Manchester Arena

By Boxing News - 03/25/2014 - Comments

murray34By Scott Gilfoid: Former EBU lightweight champion John Murray (33-2, 20 KO’s) will get to test his power shots on the light-hitting #5 WBO Anthony Crolla (27-4-1, 10 KO’s) next month on April 19th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK. Crolla, a pure finesse fighter with a number of controversial decisions in the last year, is going to be in for a world of hurt in this fight.

Crolla arguably should have lost his rematch against Derry Mathews last year in March, and after that Crollas was given another gift with his 12 round majority decision win over Gavin Rees last year in June in a fight that I had Rees winning easily by 4 rounds. With Crolla getting gift after gift in his fights, I have a feeling that Murray might have to knock him out cold in order to get the win and turn the three judges into helpless spectators in the fight.

The good thing that Murray has going for him is his power. He’s capable of bringing his own judges with him on April 19th so that we that there won’t be another controversial decision involving Crolla. Believe me, if Crolla wins this fight, he’s going to have to knock Murray out, because if he’s still there by the 6th round, Crolla is likely to be punch drunk and on his way to getting blasted out.

Murray looked good in destroying John Simpson by a 2nd round TKO earlier this month on March 1st in Glasgow, Scotland. Simpson is a very similar fighter to Crolla with his lack of power and slight built. Murray blasted away at Simpson like he was a little punching bag, and took him out in quick fashion. For Murray, that was his second straight win since his loss to Brandon Rios back in 2011.

A lot of boxing fans thought that Murray was finished after the loss to Rios, but it was more of a case of him facing a guy with too much size, too much power and too much talent for him in that fight. Murray beat Michael Escobar in his first fight after the Rios loss.

Crolla got a rare stoppage win in his last fight in beating Stephen Foster last year in November. That was a mismatch, and not a true indication of Crolla’s power.

I can’t see Crolla still standing by the 6th round against Murray on April 19th. Crolla will end up eating too many big shots, and I see either him collapsing on the canvas or his corner throwing in the white towel of surrender.



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