By Scott Gilfoid: Rodney Berman, the promoter for former world title challenger Martin Murray (27-1-1, 12 KO’s) has made contract with IBF middleweight champion Sam Soliman’s management about a fight between Murray and Soliman that Berman would like to setup for this October. Murray was already beaten by former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez last year in April in a failed attempt to capture the 39-year-old Sergio’s WBC strap.
Since that time, #4 WBC Murray has picked up two victories over little known opponents Ishmael Tetteh and Sergey Khomitsky, and Murray is now ready to fight for another world title against the 40-year-old Soliman for his IBF middleweight strap.
“The middleweight division is very fluid right now and Martin is a big part of that,” Berman said. “He’s proven himself in major fights and he has huge pulling power.”
I’m not so sure that Murray really proved himself in his loss to Martinez and in his 12 round draw against former WBA Super World middleweight champion Felix Sturm in 2011. I think in both fights, Murray failed to let his hands go when he needed to, and that was the main reason why he came up short.
Even against Martinez fighting with a torn meniscus in his right knee and a broken left hand, Murray still wasn’t able to let his hands go enough to get the win. That was Murray’s golden opportunity to win a world title over a badly injured Martinez, and yet he still couldn’t do it.
Murray, 31, will be fighting on June 21at against Max Bursak (29-2-1, 12 KO’s) for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight strap at the Casino de Monte Carlo Calle Medecin, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Murray had been talking about wanting to get a rematch with Martinez if he would have beaten Miguel Cotto last Saturday night, but Martinez’s loss in that fight ruined what little chance that Murray had for a second fight against the Argentinian. Murray isn’t even bothering to try and get a fight against Cotto, because he obviously realizes that the chances of him getting that fight are nonexistent.
Cotto will be looking to get much, much bigger game than Murray for his next fight. And it’s also unlikely that Murray will ever get a fight against Cotto even though he’s ranked high enough at #4 by the WBC to be given serious consideration. Murray’s problem is that casual boxing fans in American don’t have clue one who he is, so it would be a mistake for Cotto to fight him because few boxing fans in the U.S would care about a fight between those two.
As far as the Murray-Soliman fight goes, I think Soliman would beat Murray by a lopsided 12 round decision, because of his high work rate and constantly changing punching angles. Murray doesn’t let his hands go enough for him to compete against a guy like Soliman, and I can see this fight ending up to be about as one-sided as Soliman’s recent win over Sturm.
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