By Scott Gilfoid: #1 WBC, #3 IBF middleweight contender Martin Murray (28-1, 12 KOs) will be defending his World Boxing Council Silver 160 pound strap against the recently knocked out 34-year-old Domenico Spada (39-5, 19 KOs) in a 12 round bout this Saturday night at the Salle des etoiles, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
There’s talk of the 32-year-old Murray getting a title shot against WBA Super world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin next year in February if Murray is open to the idea of taking the fight. While Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler says that Murray is someone they’d be interested in fighting, I can’t see it happening.
Murray had the chance to fight Golovkin before, but the fight didn’t happen, and I can’t see that changing. Murray will likely sit and wait around until he eventually gets a crack against the IBF champion Jermain Taylor.
With Golovkin’s stoppage win over Marco Antonio Rubio, it likely makes the WBC title an unattractive one for Murray, because it means if he wants a shot at winning the WBC title, he’ll have to go through Golovkin to get it. I see Murray going in the opposite direction to face the easier, but star very dangerous Jermain Taylor for his IBF middleweight strap.
Spada was knocked out in 10 rounds last April by Rubio. Spada came back from that loss to defeat journeyman Nikola Matic in his last fight. But we’re still talking about a flawed fighter that is made to order for Murray to pad his record with instead of him fighting a quality opponent to earn a title shot.
There are some boxing fans who wonder why Murray be given another world title shot, given that he was beaten last year by a shot former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in April of 2013. Murray had a chance to win the fight, but he hit behind his turtle shell high guard for most of the 12 rounds of the fight instead of letting his hands go like he needed to.
Martinez was there for the taking if Murray had just let his hands go, but he seemed to be just trying to survive rather than win the fight. Since that loss, Murray has beaten Max Bursak, Ishmael Tetteh, and Sergey Khomitsky. The win over Khomitsky was a controversial one with many boxing fans feeling that Murray should have lost that fight.
Like I said, Murray is supposed to be putting himself in position for a world title shot against Golovkin with his fight against Spada, but I don’t see that happening. Murray will beat Spada by a likely close decision, and then opt to try and get a title shot against IBF champion Jermain Taylor instead of Golovkin.
Also on the card are the following fights:
Hekkie Budler vs. Xiong Zhao Zhong
Ryno Liebenberg vs. Eleider Alvarez
Randy Caballero vs. Stuart Hall
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