Murray-Hickman square off on Froch-Reid undercard by Tom Podmore Nov 8th 2007

Two hard-hitting lightweights square off for the vacant English title on the eight-fight undercard when Manchester's unbeaten John Murray and Black Country puncher Dean Hickman go head-to-head over ten. This is the first of several quality little scraps on this excellent-looking Hennessy Sports and GoldenPalace.net-promoted card at the impressive Nottingham Arena. Mallet-fisted Hickman, stepping down in weight for this title opportunity, is likely to provide the talented Mancunian with the sternest test of his fledgling four-year professional career. John's chin, yet to be put to the test by a one-punch banger, will also be checked on Friday evening. Although the West Bromwich-based scrapper was decked five times and halted with bodyshots by Gary Reid in his last fight in April, trainer Errol Johnson feels the loss was more to do with weight than talent. Johnson said: “When he lost to Wright and Morrison, we realised he wasn't a light-welterweight. So he is going to drop down a division and try his luck at lightweight. “The defeat against Reid was a bad one, but he can bounce back. Besides, Dean had been preparing for a fight at nine-stone-nine and had to put weight back on at the last minute.” The Paul (PJ) Rowson-promoted scrapper, 15-3-1 (5), had previously outpointed the Stoke puncher in a give-and-take war for the Midland Area belt in 2005 – getting off the canvas in the opener to take a deserved 97-94 vote. However, Hickman has always looked a little weak around the torso – dangerous Nigel Wright, still the English ten-stone boss, knocked the wind out of his sails with bodyshots in 2005 John, a noted body-banger who has been sparring with Ricky Hatton – one of the world's best body-punchers – in the run-up to this potentially explosive scrap, should take note. But Hickman is desperate to add the English lightweight belt to his Midland Area light-welterweight crown and promises to give it his all. Although he has a reputation as a puncher, he's skilful, has a powerful jab, fast hands and quick feet. The 27-year-old, who has suffered all three of his paid defeats on Sky Sports, fits his training around long days working as a scaffolder in West Bromwich and is now truly dedicated to the sport after drifting away from it as a teenager. Dean never boxed as a senior but as a teenager fought for Silver Street ABC and compiled a respectable 16-3 ledger. He then strapped the gloves back on at 22, making his paid debut with a draw against Wayne Wheeler in 2002. He outpointed Wheeler in a return two months later and won his next twelve, including scalps over then-undefeated Lee McCallister, now 25-1 and WBU champion, and 12-0 Adnan Amar, who would go onto win the British Masters title at light-middleweight and fights for the Midland Area on this undercard. Future Celtic light-welterweight champion Ceri Hall and slippery Ingle-trained former Central Area boss Tony Montana also left the Midlands bruised and beaten. And Dean, never in bad fight, has been sparring with former British champion Young Mutley, tall southpaw Marcus Portman (the WBF champion at eleven-stone), Martin Gethin, Stuart Elwell and Dean Harrison ahead of this contest. That will stand him in good stead. But there are big question marks hanging over aggressive Hickman's ability to hold a shot – all three of his paid defeats coming inside. County Durham's Nigel Wright title pounded him to the body for a seven-round win in a vacant English light-welterweight title fight in Doncaster back in 2005. Stoke-based Gary Reid, who has also dropped down to lightweight, did the same in their rematch earlier in the year. Dean also came unstuck in a British title eliminator last year. Future British champ Barry Morrison, after being buzzed by a series of fast-handed punches in the first 20 seconds, caught Dean cold, dropped and then stopped the Midlander in just 138 seconds at the Fife Ice Rink. But was it just a case of all three being too big? Murray, an exciting come-forward fighter with good skills, can be static at times and is prone to swellings, so Dean's quick and solid punching could cause him some trouble in that respect. I wager there being some serious fireworks in this 30-minute clash of punchers. As said, John digs the body well – wearing down both Ben Odamattey, a former National champion, and current Midland Area ten-stone champ Billy Smith with left hooks to the torso. And there is little doubt Murray has the talents to fulfil his role as one of Britain's premier prospects. Unbeaten at 21-0 (11), the Mancunian has an aggressive and relentless style that belies his tender years. He has proved himself to be a calm, calculated and clinical box-fighter. In scoring a career-best win over roughhouse Colombian Nacho Mendoza, John had to endure an intense close-quarter battle before prevailing on a technical decision in the eighth, with a huge Hasim Rahman-esque swelling (the one he suffered against Evander Holyfield) finishing the bout early. And his repuation is growing with every fight. In 2005, underneath the Lacy-Reid world title fight, he broke up American Johnny Walker over six rounds. A month later, Walker went nine with former WBO ten-stone boss DeMarcus Corley. He took a short notice job in Quebec a few months later and punished another American, this time Tyrone Wiggins, into submission in four rounds. Durable Lorenzo Bethea was halted in seven on the undercard of Mayweather-De La Hoya earlier in the year. The Joe Gallagher-trained 2006 Young Boxer of the Year, out of action since that fight in Las Vegas in May, has the experience on fighting on huge bills in North America. He can deal with the pressure of the big occasion. Murray is also one of the few to stop iron-chinned Worcester traveller Billy Smith, doing so in six in the summer of 2006. He has outpointed teak-tough Mounir Guebbas, the Frenchman who would go on to beat English champ Danny Hunt, and also holds a testing ten-round win over durable Togo puncher Moebi Sarouna. Promising John, 22, should have too much in his armoury for the shorter West Midlander – cutting him in half with bodyshots and forcing the referee to intervene by the mid-way point. For the record, Murray's WBC Youth title will also be on the line. Walsall's Darren Gethin, 8-10-5 (2), puts his Midland Area welterweight title on the line for the first time – a belt he won at this venue in March against another Ingle-trained Nottingham stylist, Tyan Booth – against Nottingham's Adnan Amar, 18-1 (3). Errol Johnson-trained Gethin, 31, much better than his deceiving record suggests, could be frustrated by the elusiveness of the former British Masters champion, 24, in his second crack at an Area title. However, Gethin is the pick to retain his title just. Originally pencilled in to fight Bedworth's Neil Tidman on this bill, Northampton's Paul David, 7-3 (3), boxes for the vacant Midland Area super-middleweight title relinquished by Tidman against Nottingham-born former Midland light-heavyweight champion Michael Monaghan, 17-21 (2). Matt Scriven-trained Monaghan, 31, boxes like an Ingle fighter (hands down, upper-body movement, using the ring etc) and meets someone who is a fully-fledged member of the Ingle club. But expect David, who's scored back-to-back wins over Peter Haymer and Andrew Lowe, to be too big, too fresh. British eight-stone-ten boss Esham Pickering, 32-5 (12), warms up for a defence of his Lonsdale belt against Leicester's Rendall Munroe in the New Year with an eight-rounder against former British title challenger Sean Hughes, involved in an up-and-downer with Billy Corcoran at this venue last November. Now with Carl Greaves, Newark's former Commonwealth and European champ has sold around 250 tickets and should be too talented for the Pontefract southpaw, 13-6-1 (1), though the 31-year-old may have to go the distance to get his thirty-third career win. Ultra-confident Tyrone Wright, the 29-year-old reigning Midland Area and former British Masters light-heavyweight champion from Nottingham, goes over a cruiserweight four against Ingle-trained Worksop switcher Simeon Cover, 16-35-2 (4). Jason Shinfield-trained Tyrone, 6-1-1 (3), is hoping to be in the mix for Carl Froch's British belt if the champion relinquishes as expected after his fight (that's if Froch wins). He should keep those ambitions on track with a distance win over the former British Masters champion. Lincoln's former WBO Intercontinental and British Masters cruiserweight champion Kelly Oliver, 34, returning after a four-year absence, gets back to work in a four-rounder against durable twelve-fight (five wins, three quickly) Doncaster banger John Anthony. Kelly, 19-2 (10), does hold wins over recent British boss Buster Keeton, Lincoln rival Lee Swaby and Chris P Bacon. The four-time ABA champ did, however, get taken out in two by Keeton in a return and lost in ten to then-streaking Sebastian Rothmann for the WBU title. He could be given something to think about by Anthony. Northampton's Ingle-trained Leonard Lothian, 4-3-2 (0), a former NABC National and Midland ABA amateur champion, boxes over 12 minutes against 26-year-old Lincolnshire soldier Amir Unsworth, a ABA Novice runner-up who goes over to Iraq with the army on November 17. Unbeaten at 2-0 (1), Sleaford's Unsworth has shifted 150 tickets and won't be a pushover. But skilful former England International Leonard, who lost a close one to unbeaten Rob Hunt in the Black Country two weeks ago, is equally talented. Pick'em. Improving 29-year-old Nottingham puncher Rod Anderton, 9-2-1 (3), completes the bill in a four-threes against old foe Nick ‘The Ox' Okoth, 6-15-4 (2), coming off a stoppage victory over an undefeated fighter in the Czech Republic recently. Shinfield-trained Anderton dropped and outpointed (60-53) Sheffield tough-nut Dean Walker last time and is after another crack at the Midland Area light-heavyweight title early next year. Battersea's Okoth was dropped and outpointed by Rod at this arena in early 2006 and is likely to suffer a similar fate.

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