After a big win on Saturday night, and a third title belt to his collection, many people are wondering what the future holds for Martin Murray. Murray, along with Joe Murray and Anthony Crolla signed new extended contracts with Hatton Promotions after the trio all celebrated wins at the weekend. Ricky said:

“I am delighted and honoured that the lads have put their future in my hands and I intend to repay them by steering them to world titles. Martin is getting close, Anthony’s chance should come inside 18 months and Joe is one of the best young talents in British boxing.”

Currently ranked 4th by the WBA, many expect this win to make him the main contender in the division. Having been calling out fellow rival domestic fighters Matthew Macklin and Darren Barker for a while, Murray is still waiting for his chance to fight them while Macklin fights Felix Sturm on Saturday and Barker is set to fight Sergio Martinez in October. Neil Marsh, Murray’s manager said:

“We think the WBA will make us number one contender after this fight. We have been offered final eliminators for the WBA but those fights don’t come off. Barker and Macklin won’t fight him because they see it as a step backward. Sky and the boxing world want the best fights and we want Macklin and Barker. If these fights can’t be made then the Paul Smith fight has to be made. We can’t keep Martin at this level now, we have got to move forward.”

Many have compared Paul Smith’s fighting style to Martin’s, and this could gel well in the ring for an exciting fight. Other options include a potential world title shot against WBA middleweight title holder Gennady Golovkin. Martin said:

“The British title has proved in the past what it does for people. It’s a platform to go onto bigger and better things and that shows the quality of the British fighter. Hopefully it can be my platform for me because we feel we’re ready.”

Ricky Hatton, who has a great track record for securing title fights may be able to set this fight up in the near future. A win against Golovkin would not only be the dream world title that Martin has been working towards, but then also a huge carrot on a stick for future fights with Barker or Macklin.

Martin Murray put on another great performance for his home crowd at Robin Park Arena, with a dominant win over Nick Blackwell to collect the British Middleweight title to his growing collection of belts. Although the fight went pretty much as predicted, Blackwell showed lots of promise and determination in the ring. He was clearly up for the fight, and came out with a lot of confidence in the first round throwing fast flashy combos, although most were absorbed on the arms of Murray’s tight defence. Murray showed a lot of respect, and landed clean jabs and body shots testing the defence of Blackwell.

In round 2, both fighters landed some head shots although Murray’s shots were clearly having an effect on Blackwell, while Murray seemed unfazed. Although bloodied, Blackwell responded instantly to the landed shots with fiery combos showing great determination but also his inexperience as he missed or simply hit the the arms of Murray.

In the following rounds, Murray remained consistent with his pressure but started throwing bigger shots. breaking down the resolve of Blackwell. Both fighters landed body shots, but Murray seemed invulnerable to the shots while Blackwell seemed to be hurt with every attack. At the end of the fourth round, Blackwell slumped onto his corner chair with a pained expression, and complained of difficulty breathing and suggesting that a rib might be broken; a likely outcome as this has happened to several of Martin’s opponents in the past. However, Blackwell continued on to a tough fifth round which he managed to survive but the writing was on the wall. His corner mercifully stopped the fight, as Blackwell would not have given up and risked further injury by carrying on.

Martin was delighted to have won the Lonsdale belt, a title that he had wanted ever since he first turned professional and fellow stable mate Jamie Moore won his Lonsdale belt. Martin commented that he felt completely in control of the fight, and thought that the fight may have ended sooner. Although he had a lot of respect for Nick for taking the fight, he believed it was too soon in his professional career and he wasn’t ready for such an undertaking. Promoter Ricky Hatton suggested that Martin was completely dominant and didn’t appear to get out of first gear, simply doing what was needed to win the fight.

On winning the fight and taking home the Lonsdale belt, Martin said:

“I’m made up, I’ve always wanted this belt since I was an amateur. I always said that when I won it I would dedicate it to my first amateur trainer John Chisnall [manager of the Glass boxing gym in St Helens and very influential in Martin's life], who died in 2005, so this one’s for John.”

When asked what is next for Martin, Ricky Hatton said:

“I think Martin is becoming a really well rounded professional now. There’s a 3 way domestic rivalry at the moment with Barker, Macklin and now Martin catching them up now. Martin is 28 years old, he’s in the peak of his career, and I think he’s going to be the man of the division.”

Hatton promotions have been very successful in setting up good fights for Martin, and he’s now won 3 titles with them so hopefully the big fights that he’s after won’t be too far away.

Tonight is finally the night, as Robin Park Arena prepares to host the main event of Martin Murray vs Nick Blackwell for the British Middleweight title. Both fighters looked good on the scales at the weigh in yesterday at the Park Inn Hotel in St Helens, although Martin was noticeably heavier and seemed much more relaxed. Unsurprising really as this is a huge undertaking for Blackwell (who has only had 8 professional fights) and was met with a boisterous, pro Murray crowd. A video of the weighin can be seen below courtesy of Hatton Promotions:

http://www.hattonboxing.com/tv/news/martin-murray-v-nick-blackwell-weigh-in

Martin has consistently repeated that he is not taking this fight lightly, and sees it as the biggest fight of his career so far. He refuses to look past this fight as a loss at this stage of his career would be a big step back. He says:

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Nick for taking the fight, and as a fighter.”

Most believe that Nick is scared (understandably), but this fear will make him a sharp and potentially dangerous fighter. Nick of course is adament that this is his big chance, his destiny, and that he will use this fight as a platform to bigger and better things.

The fight is taking place at Robin Park Sports Centre in Wigan (Loire Drive, Wigan, WN5 0UH) and also features a good undercard of Hatton fighters including fellow ST Helens fighter Craig Lyon and Olympian Joe Murray. For those that don’t have tickets yet but wish to attend, General Admission is £35.00, Ringside £55.00, VIP Ringside £75.00. The doors open at 18.00, with the first fight starting at 18.15. For those not lucky enough to get tickets, the fight is also being shown live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 10.15pm.