By Scott Gilfoid: After failing last Saturday night for the third time in challenging for a world title, Britain’s Martin Murray (29-2-1, 12 KOs) sees himself as the second best middleweight in the world.

The No.1 middleweight is WBA champion Gennady Golovkin (32-0, 29 KOs), who disposed of Murray in 11 rounds last Saturday night in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Murray made it to the 11th round, but he really was nothing more than a constantly moving and holding punching bag after the 2nd round.

The fight was not competitive after the 2nd, and you can make an argument that it should have been halted after the 4th.

Besides Murray saying he’s the second best middleweight in the world, he also wants to fight WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee if he gets past American Peter Quillin in their fight on April 11th. Just how Murray can get a fight straightaway against Lee after a loss to Golovkin is unclear.

Murray has already failed three times in fighting for world titles against Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Golovkin. It would be asking a lot of the World Boxing Organization for them to bless a title fight between Lee and Murray, given that Murray was just whipped and has already failed two other times in fighting for world titles.

(Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) It might seem a tad bit unfair to the other top contenders if Murray keeps getting world title shots after failing left and right each time he’s given shot. I mean, I’m all in favor of giving a beaten guy a chance every once in a while, but come on. Murray has been given three chances at winning world titles. It’s a bit much to turn ones head in watching him get a fourth world title chance.

“He was so strong, I just couldn’t keep him off,” Murray said via The Mail as quoted by Fightnews.com. “I felt his power, but it was more his pressure. I’ll take a rest and then look and see what’s left for me at middleweight. I’d love a big fight with Andy Lee; of course I hope he comes through against Peter Quillin. If there’s nothing out there for me at middleweight I may move up, but I’m sure there will be [something at 160.] I definitely think I’m the second best middleweight in the world but I haven’t got a belt.”

First of all, I don’t agree with Murray in him saying he’s the second best middleweight in the division. I rate Peter Quillin, Andy Lee, David Lemieux, Tureano Johnson, Hassan N’Dam and Billy Joe Saunders as being better middleweights than Murray. All of them have better offensive skills, and good enough chins to handle Murray’s light shots.

Before last Saturday, Murray had only fought two well-known fighters before during his career in Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm, and both of those guys were old by the time that Murray fought them. I had Murray losing both of those fights; even though Murray and some of his fans think he should have been given the nod.

I see Murray losing to Tureano Johnson, Quillin, Lee, Saunders, N’Dam and especially to Lemieux. Those guys would be a nightmare for Murray.
It’s going to look bad if Murray is given a title shot against the winner of the Lee-Quillin fight, because he would be doing it off the back of a loss rather than a win.

I don’t think it would be too much of an issue Murray were to take on and beat the likes of Johnson, N’Dam, Quillin, Saunders or Lemieux first before he started campaigning for a world title shot against Lee, but it looks like Murray is hoping to get a title shot right away rather than him working his way into another title shot.

Murray would be better off moving up to super middleweight and trying to make something happen in that division, because I don’t see him as having the power or the skills to compete against the top fighters at 160. He was pretty well exposed by Golovkin last Saturday night, and that fight put things in perspective for Murray.