As anticipation for this fight grew, many believed Thaxton had a very good chance. He seemed motivated for this, even likening his opponent to 'King Kong', and he has always been able to bang. However, John Murray made sure his career stayed on track by turning in a great performance.
John Murray Beats Jon Thaxton
Thaxton started well, and the usually aggressive Murray started slowly. 'Jono' was getting his punches off while Murray patiently defended, making sure he didn't get hit with one of Thaxton's bombs.
In the second, Murray livened up a bit, much to the pleasure of the rabid Manchester crowd. He introduced some hooks and body work while maintaining a solid defence, although Thaxton was still jabbing and moving well.
The third was emphatically Murray's though. He hurt Thaxton several times, and the legs of the Norwich native were struggling to hold up to the controlled aggression of Murray. Less was coming back from 'Jono', who's ring age was beginning to tell.
The fight was to finish in the fourth session. Thaxton had a good first minute, but Murray eventually got back on top, varying his shots well, and after a peach of a straight right hand to the head, the referee decided to call a stop to the bout. While some have debated it was early, it seemed fair in person as the fight was only going to be better suited to Murray the longer it went.
While for Thaxton retirement seems the most logical option, Murray will most likely fight Anthony Mezaache for the European crown in December, although if he got offered a fight against Amir Khan (which is very unlikely), he would take it instantly.
Murray should do well against Mezaache, and with his new, patient approach, he could get rid of Mezaache even quicker than he did Thaxton. Murray is growing nicely into a world class fighter.
Undercard In Altrincham
Chris 'Badger' Hughes scored a very impressive one round knockout over Dai Davies. Davies was being patient and trying to hunt 'Badger' down, but he was floored twice; once after a body shot and the other time after a mean straight right to the chin. After second knockdown, Davies was out for a couple of minutes, obviously signalling the end of the fight.
Chris Goodwin was beaten by Bob Ajisafe on points, but he didn't go down without a fight. Despite his physical advantages, Ajisafe seemed content to wait on the outside until a counter punching opportunity arose, while the smaller, out of shape Goodwin pressed the action. Ajisafe had far too much quality though, and ran away with a convincing points verdict.
Tyson Fury wasn't on the bill last night, but his cousin Phill Fury was. He was fairly unimpressive in outpointing Louis Byrne, and many believe the verdict should have gone the other way considering Fury was docked a point in round three for persistent low blowing. Fury unfortunately doesn't look much of a prospect right now.
Abdul Barry Awad, otherwise known as 'Kid Galahad' is in the same boat. Hennessy Sports are building him up as a prospect, and while in his points win over Pavels Senkovs he did look good, it is hard to see him going far. In the programme notes, he stated that he was a 'better boxer than Naz (Prince Naseem Hamed)', but that is just bravado, and whether he even will reach British Title level is in doubt at the minute.
Richard Towers forced Michal Skierniewski to retire after the scond round. Towers consistently clubbed the Pole with big shots, and to be fair, it was only a matter of time until the knockout came for the Sheffield native anyway, so Skierniewski was probably correct to throw the towel in.
Debutant Danny Randell sold a couple of hundred tickets alone, and in the curtain raiser, he sent his fans home happy after a war with the previously unbeaten Abul Taher. The crowd was the only thing that seemed to seperate the pair, as they traded for long periods with both having their fair share of punches landing. This was arguably fight of the night, and Randell worked very hard, particularly in the last round, to win by a single point.
Final Thoughts On Murray vs. Thaxton
John Murray looked excellent dismantling a tough veteran in Thaxton, and should be able to move onto the European level without a problem. His pressure fighting will stop many in their tracks, and it's quite possible Murray could scale the dizzy heights of becoming a world champion sometime in the next couple of years.
