John Murray v Gary Buckland preview
Like an uncool kid at school John Murray has been left behind by the popular gang.
Fellow British lightweights Amir Khan and Kevin Mitchell will both fight in world title contests next weekend, while Murray continues chasing domestic recognition.
It seems like only yesterday Murray was being mooted as an opponent for Khan and Mitchell in a domestic super-fight. Since then their ships have come in while the Lancashire man kicks his heels waiting for the next boat.
Manchester-born Murray instead turns his attention towards Gary Buckland for the vacant European lightweight strap tonight in Widnes; his British title is also on the line as he chases a Lonsdale belt for keeps.
This is a pretty one-sided bout; Murray is unbeaten in 28 while Buckland has done well to get a shot.
The British champion has plenty of pedigree at domestic level and is a tough cookie, make no bones about that. A strong chin, a good engine, he can box all day long, is as durable as you like and will happily get tight and fight on the inside.
The 2006 young boxer of the year has had some terrific results in recent years over solid fighters like Scott Lawton, Lee McAlister and Ignacio Mendoza. This European belt will give him a great incentive to push on and set up an eliminator for a world-title shot and it shouldn’t be long until we see Murray mixing it with some bigger names.
His last fight against Jonathan Thaxton was a comprehensive fourth-round KO. Murray was the aggressor from the start, he bullied Thaxton around the ring and controlled the fight before a flurry of right-handed blows ended proceedings.
The downside to Murray is that his movement can get a touch sluggish, his head work in particular. Also he can be a bit laborious as he was against journeyman Youssef Al Hamidi two years ago, if he came across a fighter with hurricane-hands he could come a cropper, but with a perfect record and decent KO rate it will be interesting to see how far he can go as a professional.
As for Buckland well he might be slightly out of his class here. He’s no journeyman but he’s not much more than a solid domestic fighter. He doesn’t have quite enough power behind the fists to trouble Murray but will keep chipping away all night. The Welshman worked hard to beat Swede Sam Rukundo, out pointing him over 12 rounds and he must be thrilled to get the opportunity to fight for these belts. He will need to dig deep and be prepared to take a lot of hits if he wants’ to grind out a similar result tonight.
This is a great opportunity for Murray to gain some ground on Khan and Mitchell as they gallop into the sunset. It’s been a long time coming for Englishman who hasn’t had the recognition he deserves and his bravery and power should outclass Buckland who could find himself outhustled tonight.
Buckland’s best chance is to try and catch Murray early as he can be a slow starter, but with only six knockouts to his name, a stoppage may not be an option for “Dynamo”.
As a huge Man City fan Murray has already suffered European heartbreak ones this week, he won’t be suffering it again tonight and should secure the European belt without too much fuss.
Prediction: Murray inside eight
Murray is simply too tough for Buckland. Expect the Welshman to give all he can but the strength, power and determination of Murray should lead to a KO in the second half of the fight.
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