By James Slater: 26-year-old John Murray, the reigning European lightweight king, is hoping his fight with London’s Kevin Mitchell – originally set for April 2nd at Wembley – will still take place. After the fight hit trouble and was reportedly postponed this week (due to “politics” according to Mitchell), Murray was left fuming. Blaming his would-be challenger for the fight falling through, the 30-0(18) fan-favourite doesn’t appear to have taken too much solace from the fact that he will still be fighting on the same card as Nathan Cleverly-Juergen Braehmer.
“I was ready to fight him on his own patch,” Murray said of Mitchell when speaking with The Manchester Evening News. “It would have been a huge fight and a world title eliminator. I’m the best lightweight in Britain and I’m willing to prove that against anyone.
“I wanted to fight Amir Khan but he chose to fight someone else and now Kevin Mitchell doesn’t fancy it either.”
The reference Murray makes to his fight with Mitchell being a “world title eliminator” concurs with how promoter Frank Warren, according to The M.E.N, was to make Murray-Mitchell an eliminator for the WBO 135-pound belt currently held by Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez. With the seemingly off fight being that big, it’s no surprise Murray is feeling to disappointed.
Reportedly, Warren is still trying his best to get the hot match-up on, but already there are alternate names being mentioned as possibilities for the Manchester warrior just in case. Murray will definitely fight on the April bill, and two names have been spoken of as his opponent: Scotland’s Alex Arthur and Welshman Gavin Rees.
Both men are good fighters, who have held major titles before, and the possibility of a fight between Murray and Rees is especially intriguing. Style-wise, this one would possibly be a barnburner. Former WBA 140-pound champ Rees, now the British lightweight champ, has an exciting come-forward style, and Murray never shies away from a rumble. As a result, this “back up plan” of a match-up isn’t too shabby at all.
Arthur, the former interim WBO 130-pound champ, is also now a lightweight, and he too would likely test Murray. Perhaps this potential match-up won’t excite fans like talk of a Murray-Rees fight will, but Arthur has the skills to give Murray a hard night.
Let’s see who Warren matches the always-exciting, value for money Murray with at Wembley Arena.