By Liam Santiago: Following his fourth round stoppage over Jon Thaxton (34-10), British lightweight hopefull, John Murray (28-0) is planning to become as big as worldwide boxing phenomenon, Ricky Hatton. He also claims that he would be interested in a bout against Michael Katsidis (26-2) in the next twelve months. If Murray really does want to be as big as Hatton, or anywhere near, it is about time he stepped it up a level.

To make things very clear, John Murray is no Ricky Hatton. On the British domestic scene he is great, and I believe he can win a Euopean title, but that is where it will end. At twenty four years of age with twenty eight fights unbeaten he is unproven. He came very close to defeat in May 2008 at te hands of journey man, Youssef Al Hamidi (6-20-1), who was brought in at very short notice. There is a reason Murray is undefeated in twenty eight bouts. Because he had no real challenge. Michael Katsidis has lost twice in twenty eight bouts because he fought Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz and came up short. Murray’s biggest win was probably Lee McAllister, earlier this year. The stat’s speak for themselves.

I am all for letting a fighter take his time to rise through the ranks and learn the trade, but Murray is being moved at such a slow pase. We hear constantly how Amir Khan has ducked Murray. That is untrue. According to Amir Khan, he has tried to arrange a fight with Murray but they would not accept the terms. Briedis Prescott offered to fight Murray after he beat Khan, yet nothing materialised. Even at domestic level the Manchester man is unproven. He has beaten 5th ranked John Murray and in the previous fight he beat 6th ranked Scott Lawton. Above them is Willie Limond and Alex Arthur.

Murray has already started copying Hatton’s famous drinking sessions in a bid to follow in the Hitman’s footsteps. Murray can try and clone himself into another Hatton all he wants but eventually he will have to step it up a gear. At world level I would not give him a chance. His power and aggressive style is what is winning him fights right now. When he hits a thirty five year old Thaxton, it will shake him up. When he hits Scott Lawton, it will shake him up. But the likes of Katsidis, among other fighters that have not had a ‘molly-coddled’ career, would laugh at his punches. He has had no real experience of a good solid fighter that can respond to his pressure. Those that have responded, such as Al Hamidi, came close to beating him.

Murray is a prime example of why Steve Bunce’s recent claim that Manchester is the ‘boxing capital of the world’ is total rubbish. Bunce claimed that Manchester was producing so many great fighter’s it was the best for boxing in the world. That is mainly down to the quality of Manchester fighter’s opposition, such as Murray’s. Yes, the likes of Hatton and Khan prove it to be a good place to learn the trade, but when comparing to places such as Mexico and Puerto Rico that was a ridiculous comment.

Fighters like Murray are bad for boxing, padding their records up by fighting pointless fights that fans don’t want to see. Who, in all seriousness, wanted to see Murray, unbeaten in twenty eight bouts, fight a thirty five year old Jon Thaxton who was coming of a loss to brick layer, Tom Glover. The idea that this guy will ever come close to achieving what Hatton has is laughable.