George Groves vs. Martin Murray in the works

By Boxing News - 03/16/2016 - Comments

murray1By Scott Gilfoid: A fight between former four-time world title challenger Martin Murray (32-3-1, 15 KOs) and two-time world title challenger George Groves (22-3, 17 KOs) is reportedly in the works for the summer. Murray’s promoter Eddie Hearn is working with Groves’ promoters at Sauerland Evens to finalize the deal.

It should be an interesting fight if it gets made. Both fighters are kind of in the same position right now in terms of their sagging careers. Groves just won his last fight against 2nd tier fighter Andrea Di Luisa last January, but before that, Groves was soundly beaten by WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack last September.

Frankly, what’s surprising is that Groves is still ranked in the top 15, because he’s been beaten three times in the past three years in losses to Carl Froch and Badou. Groves is currently ranked at #2 WBC, #12 IBF. That’s a bit too high for my liking. I have Groves at No.20, because I don’t think he rates a top tier ranking after those loses. I mean, you can’t be tainting the top 15 by having fighters ranked there that have a mess of losses in their last six fights like Groves has had.

Heck, Groves has lost three out of his last six fights. How on earth does that put him in the top five? It’s just so, so sad the way the sanctioning bodies have such upside down rankings. Then you get a talent like Andre Dirrell, and he’s not rated in the top five despite losing only once recently.

Murray, 33, lost his last fight against WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham last November by a 12 round

“We are talking to Sauerland about a fight with George Groves happening in the summer and we are close to finalizing a deal there,” said Hearn vis the Mirror.

Murray had been talking about wanting to retire after he was beaten by Abraham, but I guess he saw the light and decided to change his mind. A nice payday fight against Groves has a way of changing one’s mind, I guess.

Murray will be fighting next on May 7 against an opponent still to be determined on the undercard of WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla’s bout against the heavy hitter Ismael Barroso at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK. Hopefully, Murray doesn’t lose that fight too, because that would ruin any chances of him facing Groves for their summer match-up.
“As a middleweight, I always wanted these big domestic fights, but I never got them,” said Murray to The Mirro. “Now I could get them at super-middleweight and the Groves fight is as big as it gets domestically.”

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Murray has had rotten luck when it comes to his big fights during his career. He was stopped by WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin in February of 2015. Murray was also beaten by former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez by a 12 round decision in April 2013 in a fight that took place in Argentina. Murray would have likely won the fight against Martinez if he had thrown more punches. Murray spent virtually the entire fight hiding behind his clam-shell high guard and letting his hands go.

After the fight, Murray belly-ached about how he thought he had done enough to get the decision. Sorry, Murray, but you don’t get wins for covering up like a sparring partner for 12 rounds and not throwing punches. In 2011, Murray was held to a 12 round draw against former WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm. Again, it was a winnable fight for Murray, but he forgot to let his hands go the way he needed to as a challenger fighting in the champion’s home country of Germany. Sturm had Murray hurt in the 12th round, which saved him from losing the fight.

I think Murray has a great chance of beating Groves if he takes the fight to him and lets his hands go. The way to beat Groves is to apply steady pressure, aim for his vulnerable chin, and make him use up energy. Groves is basically just a six-round fighter at best, and his energy drains just like a battery when you put steady pressure on him.

We saw that in Groves’ fights with Froch and Badou Jack. The thing is, I don’t know if Murray is capable of putting pressure on Groves. He’s got that passive fighting style where he hides behind his clam-shell guard, and just letting his opponents do all the work. That’s not going to work against Groves. Murray needs to study Golovkin’s fights, and try to ape him somehow. If he can copy Golovkin’s style of fighting, then he has a great chance of beating Groves and possibly sending him into an early retirement.



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