By Scott Gilfoid: #4 WBC middleweight contender Martin Murray (29-2-1, 12 KOs) is kicking around the idea of moving up to super middleweight to try and campaign in that weight class. Murray, who is huge for the 160 pound weight class, wants to see if he can rejuvenate his career following his 11th round knockout loss last month to WBA Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on February 21st in Monte Carlo.
Let’s put it this way; it wasn’t a good performance from Murray. He ran and clinched pretty much the entire fight, and was purely in the survival mode right up to the point where referee Luis Pabon pulled the plug on him in the 11th round after he took some vicious head shots while stuck up against the ropes by Golovkin.
“I went into the Golovkin fight with a game plan and that was to take the center of the ring and try and push him back. But I just wasn’t able to do it at 160lbs,” Murray said via sportinglife.com.
I really hope Murray isn’t blaming his lack of success against Golovkin on him having to boil down to 160. I don’t think it made any difference. Heck, Murray could have fought Golovkin at an agreed on 175, and I still think Murray would have been badly whipped.
Murray’s main problem, besides his lack of hand speed, is that he doesn’t have the punching power needed to compete against guys like Golovkin. I mean, I don’t see that getting any better with Murray moving up to 168. If anything, he’ll have a more difficult time at that weight than he did at 160. Can you imagine what it’ll be like for Murray to be in the ring with talents like Andre Dirrell, Anthony Dirrell and Andre Ward?
“I’m still looking at all my options but it seems likely that I will move up to super-middleweight. I know I’m big at 160lbs so that extra eight pounds should suit me. I certainly feel as though I have plenty left in me. I’m 32, but a young 32 and I’ve only been a pro for just over seven years so I certainly think there are plenty more fights in me.”
I don’t see Murray being able to succeed at 168, I really don’t. The power just isn’t there, and I don’t see the soon to be 33-year-old Murray developing any power in the near future. Yeah, he can move up in weight, but he’s still going to be faced with the same issues that he had at 160 in terms of him not being a big enough puncher to beat the big boys.
We saw Murray fail against an old and over-the-hill 38-year-old Sergio Martinez, we saw Murray not good enough to beat Felix Sturm, and then we saw Murray not having the power to stand in the pocket against Golovkin. Things can only get worse for Murray once he moves up to super middleweight.
The one thing that Murray had in his favor at middleweight was his size advantage over the smaller fighters in that weight class. After Murray would rehydrate, he looked like a light heavyweight in the ring with his middleweight foes. Now why would Murray want to give up that advantage? I don’t understand it.
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