By Keith Idec
It wasn’t a pretty victory, but Martin Murray fended off Roberto Garcia in their middleweight fight Saturday night.
Murray mostly was the busier, more accurate fighter and withstood Garcia’s rally late in their 12-round middleweight match at O2 Arena in London. England’s Murray (37-4-1, 17 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Texas’ Garcia (41-4, 24 KOs, 1 NC), who had two points deducted, one apiece in the second and ninth rounds.
The 35-year-old Murray won on the scorecards of all three judges – Pedrag Aleksic (118-109), Francisco Alloza (116-111) and John Keane (118-108). Murray had some success with his jab and went to Garcia’s body well, but he couldn’t hurt the rugged, rule-bending Garcia in an ugly fight full of clinches and interference from referee Hector Afu.
Murray extended his winning streak to four fights since losing to London’s George Groves by unanimous decision in their 12-round super middleweight match in June 2016 at O2 Arena.
The 38-year-old Garcia, of Weslaco, Texas, was a late replacement for Billy Joe Saunders. Prior to Murray beating him, Garcia hadn’t lost since fellow Mexican Antonio Margarito defeated him by unanimous decision in their 10-round junior middleweight match in May 2010.
Garcia tried right up until the final bell to score the knockout he knew he needed to win the fight.
With Murray against the ropes, Garcia’s overhand right landed to Murray’s head about 20 seconds into the 12th round. An aggressive Garcia, clearly behind, tried to land something big for the remainder of the 12th, but he couldn’t hurt Murray.
Garcia hit Murray with a straight left hand that snapped back Murray’s head right before the halfway point of the 11th round.
Afu deducted a point from Garcia for the second time in the fight during the ninth round. Whereas the first deduction in the second round was a penalty for low blows, it wasn’t clear why Afu took another point from Garcia in the ninth.
Murray remained the more active, accurate fighter in the seventh and eight rounds. Garcia continued smiling at him, though, as Murray landed punches Garcia wanted him to know didn’t hurt.
Murray continued to attack Garcia’s body in the sixth round and punched in combination to Garcia’s head. Afu warned both boxers for clashes of heads where there was about 1:15 remaining in the sixth round.
Murray connected with several left hooks to Garcia’s body in the fifth round. Garcia simply shook his head and kept moving forward.
Garcia was warned for landing a low left hand when there was about 1:50 to go in the fourth round. Murray was the busier fighter in the fourth round, but none of his punches seemed to affect Garcia.
Murray landed a straight right hand directly to the middle of Garcia’s face with around 1:05 to go in the third round.
Garcia came back later in the third by drilling Murray with a right hand to his chest. That shot caused Murray to hold Garcia.
The first two rounds were closely contested as well, with Garcia consistently coming forward and Murray remaining at a distance, trying to work off his jab. Garcia fell behind, however, because he had a point deducted for a low blow in the second round.
Afu warned Garcia for a low blow in the second round before taking a point away from him for landing a right hand to Murray’s leg with under a minute to go in it.
Murray was supposed to challenge Saunders for the British southpaw’s WBO middleweight title Saturday night. Saunders withdrew from their fight for the second time June 3, this time due to a hamstring injury.
Their fight first was postponed from April 14 until Saturday night because Saunders suffered a hand injury during training camp.
A frustrated Murray made it clear once Saunders withdrew a second time that he doesn’t believe Saunders was hurt this time. Murray has accused Saunders of pulling out of their fight to see if he could land a better payday for a higher-profile fight against Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez.
Saunders agreed to battle Golovkin on August 25 in Inglewood, California, but Golovkin-Saunders plans were scrapped once Golovkin and Alvarez agreed to terms June 13 for their rematch September 15 in Las Vegas.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
MARTIN MURRAY is on course for a sensational world title rematch against Gennady Golovkin after ending Roberto Garcia’s eight-year unbeaten run.
The multiple-time world title challenger secured a unanimous points decision, 116-111, 118-109, 118-108 in what was a near-perfect night’s work.
Reuters Martin Murray beat Roberto Garcia to end his eight-year unbeaten and win the WBC 'silver' title
But after seeing off Garcia at a half-full O2 Arena, Murray could well get a FIFTH crack at trying to win his first world title.
The 35-year-old is now the mandatory challenger for Triple G’s WBC strap after winning the ‘Silver’ version.
One successful defence of that new addition could lead to a rematch against the Kazakh king.
Murray was left fuming with WBO champ Billy Joe Saunders after he pulled out of two fights for that world title - and took his revenge out on replacement Garcia with a comprehensive victory.
Reuters
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Back in February 2015, St Helens hardman Murray was stopped in eight by the current WBC middleweight champ Triple G.
The first round was as expected between two wily veterans - cagey.
Garcia ambled forward without any real body movement, with Murray firing out straight shots that seemed to get through.
But the pace was a slow one, as those left in the London arena willed Murray into battle.
The crowd howled in anger mid-way through the second when Garcia was penalised for a low blow - but it didn’t seem to affect Murray too much
The pair clashed heads at the beginning of the third - Garcia complaining that he thought it was intentional.
It looked to be the first sign that the Mexican wasn’t really enjoying it too much in there - but he soon proved otherwise by landing the shot of the fight.
Reuters Roberto Garcia and Martin Murray in action at the O2 Arena
As the pair grappled towards the ropes, Garcia pushed off and landed a huge right that seemed to surprise Murray as oppose to hurt him.
Murray’s corner were again screaming ‘low blow’ in the fourth but the referee shook his head.
It simply seemed to infuriate Murray who landed the cleaner punches, seeming like the boxer in there against the durable warrior.
The fifth round was forgettable as Murray let Garcia back in it, but the sixth showed Murray was clearly the better boxer.
Garcia was again warned by the referee for a low blow, but despite Murray’s corner howling again, those ringside could see little in it.
PA:Press Association The St Helens scrapper raises his arm in victory at the end of the fight
One thing that has been levelled at Murray throughout his career is that he lacks the concrete punch that would ever see him reign at world level.
This was clear in the seventh. He was landing at will but Garcia only ever seemed unbalanced as oppose to hurt.
In the eighth and ninth Garcia finally decided to met fire with fire, and showed he has some skills in that 38-year-old locker too.
Murray was throwing far more, but Garcia was starting to get through when Murray slacked back, arms down.
But Garcia’s hopes of convincing the judges this was ever going in his favour were hit when he was deducted another point for shots to the back of the head.
PA:Press Association Murray makes Garcia miss during the bout
Into the Championship rounds, and Murray went back to being the aggressor. There was a tasty moment a minute into the tenth when Murray lost his cool on the grapple and rained in shots.
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Unsurprisingly after a workmanlike showing throughout, Murray noticeably tired in the 11th, but Garcia’s bulldozing was about as eye-catching as it was effective.
The 38-year-old Mexican knew he needed a knockout in the 12th to win. Murray was shattered and again complained of another low blow.
But Garcia was far too one-dimensional, and as the bell sounded Murray’s fans got to their feet knowing it was job done.
And the scorecards told the same story too.
Bring on Golovkin.
A referee from Panama has helped Martin Murray stay in the loop for a fifth world title fight.
It was to be hoped that this official’s fellow countrymen would be equally obliging when they took the World Cup field against England in Russia 14 hours later.
Senor Augusto Agosso not only deducted two points from Tex-Mexican Roberto Garcia but failed to take action for deliberate low blows in revenge by Murray.
Martin Murray claimed the WBC Silver Middleweight title with a victory over Roberto Garcia
And when he finally did warn the St Helen’s hard man in the final round he bought him recovery time as he staggered under a last gasp onslaught from Garcia.
Prior to that finale Murray always looked like claiming his place as No 1 contender for the WBC middleweight title by winning Garcia’s Silver belt.
And the feisty veteran from the Rio Grande certainly landed a fistful of low blows.
But the deductions exaggerated the margin of the unanimous points decision in Murray’ s favour.
Two scores of 118-108 and 118-109 were excessive. My card concurred with the third judge at ringside’s 116-111 calculation.
Augusto Agosso deducted two points from Garcia but failed to spot low blows from Murray
Murray always looked like claiming his place as No 1 contender for the WBC middleweight title
But the deductions exaggerated the size of the unanimous points decision in Murray’s favour
Murray battled through the controversies - one of which came the previous day at the weigh in where his shoving of Garcia is likely to incur a WBC fine - to install himself as the mandatory challenger to Gennady Golovkin.
That does not mean that a big fight with the Kazakh KO merchant, who has stopped Murray once already, will happen any time soon.
Triple G is heading to Las Vegas in September for his second super fight against Canelo Alvarez and there is already talk of a trilogy.
But at least Murray has kept not only his career alive but also but also his hopes of a fifth chance to win that elusive world title.
Martin Murray was fighting for the 42nd time in his professional career and gained his 37th victory
Britain's Martin Murray stayed on course for a fifth shot at a world belt by beating Mexico's Roberto Garcia.
Murray, 35, secured a unanimous points win in London to claim the WBC silver middleweight belt and move closer to a fight for Gennady Golovkin's WBC title.
The St Helens boxer got the verdict by 116-111 118-109 118-108 margins.
Murray needs to defend his silver belt once to become the mandatory WBC challenger for unbeaten Golovkin, who also holds the IBO and WBA world belts.
The pair fought in February 2015, with Golovkin winning in the 11th round.
That loss was one of four failed world-title bids for Murray, who drew with Felix Storm in December 2011, lost to Sergio Martinez in April 2013 and lost to Arthur Abraham in November 2015.
At London's O2 Arena, 38-year-old Garcia had a point taken away in the second round for a low blow, although he did stun Murray with a powerful right hook in the third.
But Murray produced good boxing skills, including numerous successful punches to the body, to take some close rounds.
The Mexican received a warning in the sixth for leading with the head before losing another point for punching around the back of the head in the ninth, although he ended the fight strongly.
'I believe there is a world title in me'
Garcia was a late replacement after Murray had been due to challenge WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, who withdrew because of a hamstring injury.
That was the second time Saunders had postponed the fight after also pulling out of the bout in March with a hand injury.
"He's a hypocrite with double standards and an imposter," Murray said after Saunders' second withdrawal.
After the win over Garcia, Murray said he would be willing to fight Saunders, but only if there was a guarantee he would be paid in case Saunders pulled out again.
"You cannot trust the man, he has done it twice so for me to do it again there would have to be some insurance in place," said Murray.
"He loves being the world champion but does not defend his belts. If there was insurance in place I would fight him and take him to school.
"I do believe there is a world title in me. I just need the right fight at the right time."
Yarde, Davies and Dubois win in style
Anthony Yarde became the first man to stop Darius Sek and secure his 16th win, 15 of which have come inside the distance
On the undercard, English light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde maintained his unbeaten record with a seventh-round stoppage win over Dariusz Sek.
The Polish fighter was floored for the first time in his career in the opening round but stayed in the fight for another six rounds.
Londoner Ohara Davies gained the WBC international super-lightweight championship with a second-round knockout of Congo's Paul Kamanga.
Davies, 26, has now won 18 of his 19 professional fights, with his only defeat coming last July to Scotland's Josh Taylor, who beat Viktor Postol in Glasgow on Saturday to retain his WBC silver super-lightweight belt.
"I'm really pleased with this win and coming into this fight I was really nervous," Davies told BT Sport. "I'm back from under the bus, I thought my boxing career was over."
Daniel Dubois, 20, secured the vacant English heavyweight title with a fifth-round stoppage win over Tom Little to maintain his perfect professional record of eight wins, with all eight coming inside the distance.
