Mancunian lightweight John Murray needs to make a statement this week when he takes on the unheralded Karim El Ouazghari (11-1-2) in a defence of his European belt.
Murray is topping the bill at London's famous York Hall and has the chance to raise his profile and boost his world ranking.
With an impressive 30-0 record, with 18 knockouts, Murray has been bubbling under with only two fights per year since 2008. That's not nearly enough for this precious talent, who has a fan-friendly style and fights out of a fan-friendly city that loves its boxing.
Murray recently signed for Frank Warren from Mick Hennessy, who had been criticised for not delivering enough for his man.
El Ouazghari might be something of an unknown quantity but a glance at his record does not inspire great confidence, with no real names of note and only four stoppages on the ledger.
Murray has an intelligent and diligent trainer in Joe Gallagher, who is sure to have his fighter physically and mentally primed to avoid a potential road block on the road to a world title shot. I can't see Murray throwing this away and expect him to blow away his over-matched opponent within four rounds.
Hopefully this should boost Murrary's appeal to a wider audience.
York Hall is not too far away from rival Kevin Mitchell's Essex backyward of Dagenham and the "Here's Johnny!" promotional posters for this fight dotted around the capital (with Murray recreating the pose of Jack Nicholson in The Shining) are sure to wind up Mitchell and his following.
However, I'm not sure Murray should bother with Mitchell, who was blown away by Michael Katsidis last year in a challenge for the interim WBO Lightweight Champtionship.
The fight would attract a good crowd and probably a nice purse for the fighters but here's why the bout might not be worth it for Murray:
* Mitchell has not fought since May last year and had a shattering loss in three rounds to Katsidis in his beloved Upton Park stadium in front of his own fans. Since then, he's not had a tune-up of confidence-builder so surely going straight in against Murray would be too much.
* Promotional issues are concerns with claims recently that Mitchell was unhappy with the purse offered by Frank Warren for a contest with Murray. It was even said Mitchell may be forced to retire as a result. Speculation has been made by some, perhaps unfairly, that Mitchell is after a big payday to cash out with.
* The weight issue is another factor. Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight and looked tiny against Katsidis. So why would he carry on campaigning at Lightweight?
* Personal issues could be another concern. Rumours always swirl around the world of boxing and are often unfounded. However, if it's true that Mitchell is still regularly out on the town supping up the nightlife then that's a concern for a professional athlete who should be in his prime.
* Finally, does Murray need the hassle? He should be looking upwards, not sideways or backwards. Why wait around for Mitchell to sort out issues over the purse or build up his confidence with a tune-up fight? Of course, money talks so let's see what happens!
Murray is topping the bill at London's famous York Hall and has the chance to raise his profile and boost his world ranking.
With an impressive 30-0 record, with 18 knockouts, Murray has been bubbling under with only two fights per year since 2008. That's not nearly enough for this precious talent, who has a fan-friendly style and fights out of a fan-friendly city that loves its boxing.
Murray recently signed for Frank Warren from Mick Hennessy, who had been criticised for not delivering enough for his man.
El Ouazghari might be something of an unknown quantity but a glance at his record does not inspire great confidence, with no real names of note and only four stoppages on the ledger.
Murray has an intelligent and diligent trainer in Joe Gallagher, who is sure to have his fighter physically and mentally primed to avoid a potential road block on the road to a world title shot. I can't see Murray throwing this away and expect him to blow away his over-matched opponent within four rounds.
Hopefully this should boost Murrary's appeal to a wider audience.
York Hall is not too far away from rival Kevin Mitchell's Essex backyward of Dagenham and the "Here's Johnny!" promotional posters for this fight dotted around the capital (with Murray recreating the pose of Jack Nicholson in The Shining) are sure to wind up Mitchell and his following.
However, I'm not sure Murray should bother with Mitchell, who was blown away by Michael Katsidis last year in a challenge for the interim WBO Lightweight Champtionship.
The fight would attract a good crowd and probably a nice purse for the fighters but here's why the bout might not be worth it for Murray:
* Mitchell has not fought since May last year and had a shattering loss in three rounds to Katsidis in his beloved Upton Park stadium in front of his own fans. Since then, he's not had a tune-up of confidence-builder so surely going straight in against Murray would be too much.
* Promotional issues are concerns with claims recently that Mitchell was unhappy with the purse offered by Frank Warren for a contest with Murray. It was even said Mitchell may be forced to retire as a result. Speculation has been made by some, perhaps unfairly, that Mitchell is after a big payday to cash out with.
* The weight issue is another factor. Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight and looked tiny against Katsidis. So why would he carry on campaigning at Lightweight?
* Personal issues could be another concern. Rumours always swirl around the world of boxing and are often unfounded. However, if it's true that Mitchell is still regularly out on the town supping up the nightlife then that's a concern for a professional athlete who should be in his prime.
* Finally, does Murray need the hassle? He should be looking upwards, not sideways or backwards. Why wait around for Mitchell to sort out issues over the purse or build up his confidence with a tune-up fight? Of course, money talks so let's see what happens!
