YOUTH meets experience in a fascinating encounter as WBA ‘super’ middleweight champion Felix Sturm defends against challenger Martin Murray in Germany this Friday. St Helens’ Murray is the clear underdog in his first world title shot against the long-reigning champion, who beat Matthew Macklin by close decision in his last fight.
Murray, 23-0 (10), feels he can go one better than his UK rival and score the upset against a champion that may just be in the final stages of an outstanding career at 32-years-old.
Rumours abound of weight-making difficulties suffered by the German champion. Even so, defeating Sturm in Germany is no easy task. The defending champion, 36-2-1 (15), is a slick operator who has mixed in a high class for the best part of a decade. Blessed with a superb left hand, the gifted German usually takes a few rounds to get going before cranking up the pressure on opponents, often winning clearly on points or by late stoppage. Against Macklin, Felix was behind at the halfway point but turned up the heat to grind out a split verdict over the tiring Birmingham bruiser. There were mild cries of robbery afterwards, but Sturm’s greater accuracy seemed to have tipped the fight in his favour by the close of an absorbing contest.
It wasn’t the Fritz Sdunek-trained fighters’ finest performance, but he got the job done. Many thought he’d simply underestimated Macklin, something he’d be best advised not to repeat against the fresher and stronger Murray.
Since turning pro four years ago Murray, a strapping six-footer, has done little wrong in his 23 fights, winning British and commonwealth titles as well as Prizefighter. Martin has been screaming out for a big fight for some time now; at one stage a contest between him and Macklin was close to being finalised before the Brummie pulled out.
Although a stoppage winner in only ten of his contests, Murray can hit hard with both the right-hand and the left hook. His body punching and physical strength also make him a difficult man to keep at bay, even for someone as skilful as Felix Sturm. Both fighters are supremely-conditioned athletes; ripped and toned impressively for every contest.
The St Helen’s contender has remained supremely confidant in the build up and will be cheered on by a couple of hundred of his loyal fans at the SAP Arena. Make no mistake; Murray is coming to win. Martin was critical of Macklin’s performance and feels he can learn from his rival’s mistakes. Murray, trained by Oliver Harrison, in particular, has pointed out the need for intelligent pressure against the defending champion, highlighting Macklin’s inability to put thought into his attacks on the defensively-sound champion.
It’s a big jump in class going from Nick Blackwell (a stoppage win for the vacant British title) to Sturm, but one must have respect for Murray for believing in himself to even take the fight. Although he is only three years younger, the unbeaten challenger is far fresher than the reigning champion, who has been fighting at top level for around seven years.
None of Murray’s previous opposition can possibly measure up to the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Javier Castillejo and Sebastian Sylvester, world champions who have been mastered by the talented German (although he famously never got the decision over De La Hoya in his lone fight in the US). Unbeaten fighters’ should never be underestimated though; many in the trade feel Murray is fighting Sturm at just the right time.
The key for the challenger is to be on Sturm like a rash-don’t let him breath, work the body hard and keep those hands high. Sturm has only suffered one stoppage loss; in the tenth to Castillejo in a fight he was winning at the time of the stoppage. Chances are Murray will have to work hard for the whole twelve rounds to win. It’s a tough ask, but not impossible.
The German champion should look to time the left hand, to break the younger man’s rhythm as he looks to bull-in and work up close. Felix needs to be fast-on-his-feet, stay off the ropes and use his ring-smarts to make Murray miss and counter-punch him quickly and accurately.
Final prediction
The British underdog is fit, strong and had a terrific training camp, but he’s jumping into the lions den against a fighter that has seen it all before many times over. Although Felix has slowed a shade, I don’t think he’s quite ready for the taking yet. Expect Murray to give “Leonidas” a tough, competitive fight where he sweeps the early rounds before being picked off and out-worked down the stretch. Ultimately I see the champion retaining by a close unanimous points decision over his brave challenger in a stirring contest.
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