Who’d be a matchmaker? by Kevin Taylor May 8th 2008

Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? For Mick Hennessy it's already struck three-times, firstly Denis Inkin pulled out of a WBC super-middleweight eliminator with Carl Froch for a second time and then yesterday John Fewkes was forced to pull out of his English title clash due to gastroenteritis and now as already reported on the site Froch's replacement opponent Rubin Williams is unable to leave the US due to personal problems. Who'd be a matchmaker? I'd love to have a go I must admit, so I sat down today and looked at possible opponents for John Murray who, with just over 48 hours to go to the first bell, is still facing that notorious opponent TBA. All the names that have been mentioned since Fewkes withdrew are around the top twenty in the lightweight division so it doesn't look like they are looking for a blow-out opponent, although at 48 hours notice it must be a real challenge for matchmaker John Ingle to find a worthy opponent for the fight which is not only being shown on ITV4 but also on Showtime in America. Names that have been branded about are Martin Gethin and Nadeem Siddique, who also boxes on the show but at light-welterweight, both of whom would have had weight-advantages over the unbeaten Manchester prospect, who was bang on track to make the 9st 9lb limit plus both are obviously tricky opponents to take at such short notice. Two other possible opponents are fighting next weekend, British and Commonwealth title challenger Scott Lawton and Coatbridge's Martin Watson. Lawton, who boxes on his own promotion in his hometown next Saturday, would be a good test for Murray having been in with both of Murray's main rivals Jon Thaxton and Amir Khan in 2007, a win over Lawton and in spectacular style would look good on Murray's resume for sure, of course Lawton also held the English title that Murray was set to defend against Fewkes. Watson who has spoken before of a desire to fight Murray has a good pedigree and has never been stopped in a twenty fight career, although he is coming off the back of three losses all are to good opponents in former WBC light-welterweight champion Gavin Rees, Willie Limond and unbeaten Gary Buckland. In a twenty fight career Watson has lost five, the other losses coming against former British champion Lee Meager and Steve Murray, Murray put Watson down in the first but in the end won a close 96-95 decision. Watson is fit and it would be a good fight and would only do Murray good if he were to stop the tough Coatbridge fighter and surely Watson would jump at the chance of exposure on ITV4 rather than facing Calne's Chris Long for the International Master's title. Others in the top twenty who could be considered are aforementioned Gary Buckland, but could he make the weight with such short notice? Peter McDonagh, who was scheduled to defend his Irish lightweight title against Michael Gomez, but Gomez of course is now fighting Amir Khan instead. Possibly another Irishman in namesake Andrew Murray could also be considered but I doubt if the two unbeaten fighters would face each other on such short notice with no title at stake, unless John has any Irish in him. If Ingle decides to look abroad he could look at Mihaita Mutu who fought last Saturday in France, beating Aram Ramazyan over six rounds, but I'm not sure what he weighed in at as he fought Lee McAllister at light-welter at the end of March. No easy challenge and I'm just sitting in front of the PC looking, I didn't have the added distraction of also having to find a credible opponent for the local hero Carl Froch at short notice as well. It will be interesting to see who Murray faces on Saturday night in Nottingham, but I'm sure it will be a credible opponent unless they decide to elevate the match-up between Adnan Amar and Mark Lloyd, who fight for the English welterweight title and give Murray an easy night's work.

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