Saunders v Murray will finally happen now that both men made weight
Well it finally looks like WBO world super middleweight champion “Superb” Billy Joe Saunders (29-0, 14 KO’s) will fight Martin Murray (39-5-1, 17 KO’s). The last obstacle to get around was the weigh-in.
Thankfully, both men made weight, so there are no other obstructions to their December 4 clash. While this will be their first time fighting, it is the third attempt to get them in the ring. Each of the previous two occasions were called off due to Saunders pulling out of the bouts.
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
The two competitors were almost identical in weight with Saunders tipping the scales at 167.3 to Murray’s 167.4 pounds. When they do collide, both will be snapping one full year of inactivity. Earlier this year, Superb had the opportunity to take on WBA super world middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KO’s) but turned it down. According to Saunders, he felt as if he was not given enough time to prepare for the high stakes bout.
So instead of facing Saunders in his next at-bat, Canelo will take on the challenge of WBA super world super middleweight Callum “Mundo” Smith (27-0, 19 KO’s). Naturally, Superb will be happy to resume his career but Murray is a far cry away from tangling with the sports current cash cow. Obviously, if he defeats Murray, and looks good doing it, Saunders will try once again to secure that lucrative bout.
As for Martin Murray, he is hopeful that he can finally become a full-fledged world champion. He did win a WBA interim title back in 2012 against Jorge Navarro, but was later stripped due to making no defenses. Yet, in each of his four attempts to capture a world title, Murray snagged one draw against three defeats. This fifth endeavor against Saunders, in many respects, could be his last chance to achieve that dream.
By: Bakari Simpson
Be the first to comment