UK Boxing
Former British boxing champion jailed for disgusting attacks on two women
John Murray was jailed after two attacks on women. (Photo: Getty Images)
A former boxing champion has been jailed after assaulting his ex-partner and attacking another woman during a parking row. John Murray (41), from Levenshulme, Manchester, had a successful boxing career before injury forced him to retire in 2014. He fought notable opponents including Anthony Crolla and appeared on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather world title fight in Las Vegas in 2007.
Murray, who started his own gym after hanging up his gloves, is now behind bars after attacking two women. Minshull Street Crown Court heard the former British and European lightweight champion worked in 2023 as a delivery driver. On January 20, he launched an unprovoked attack on a woman after she blocked her driveway.
The victim, who had two children in the back seat of the car, was punched in the face as she challenged Murray and another woman.
“How [the other woman] grabbed her by the hair, the defendant punched her in the face,” prosecutor Eleanor Myers said. “Her children were screaming, ‘Get away from my mom’ as her partner came to assist.”
Murray punched the woman again before leaving, hitting her car as he drove away. The severely shaken victim suffered a broken nose.
In a statement, she said: “It has changed me as a person. I don’t feel like I’m the same person I was. I can’t leave the house on my own anymore.”
Ms Myers told the court that on July 15, 2023, after separating from her former partner, Murray went to her home to discuss a family matter. Woken by raucous banging on the door, she looked out the front window.
“She didn’t see anything outside that would cause banging, so she turned her back,” the prosecutor said. “When she did this, the defendant climbed in through the window.”
“She fled the room and he followed her into the bedroom. He walked up to her and choked her with both hands around her neck. He held her for 45 seconds.”
Murray grabbed her by the hair and repeatedly hit her in the head. They ran downstairs and she was thrown onto the sofa by Murray, who jumped on her and bit her on the chest.
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John Murray after retaining the European lightweight title in 2010. (Photo: Getty Images)
After the attack, Murray stated: “Look what you made me do – look at your neck.”
The victim ran outside, shouting: “Come here, you b***h.”
An audience member stepped in. Murray tried to hit him twice but missed.
The victim had bruises to her chest, neck and face, as well as a cut to the back of her ear.
“This event truly shocked me,” she said in a statement. “I never expected it to be this horrible in my life and I hope I don’t have to again. I don’t feel protected in my own home.”
Mitigating, Isobel Thomas said Murray had a successful boxing career and was “admired by many”.
“His boxing career was cut miniature… after an eye injury,” she added.
“He was forced to find a novel career and it was a hard time for him. He opened his own boxing gym and that gave him purpose. Due to financial reasons, he had to close the boxing gym. He was struggling and felt he had lost his purpose in life.”
Murray, of Lichfield Walk, Romiley, previously pleaded guilty to strangulation; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; and attack by beating. He was sentenced to three years in prison and banned from contacting his former partner for seven years, provided he has a restraining order.
Murray retired from the ring in November 2014 at the age of 29. In April, he suffered a retinal detachment in his last fight against Anthony Crolla in Manchester.
Murray finished his career with a record of 33-3. He then trained amateur and professional players at his gym in Reddish, Stockport, before it closed.
Murray entered the world of boxing after stacking supermarket shelves and flipping burgers at McDonald’s as a teenager.
Dillian Whyte is eager to fight Joseph Parker again.
In 2018, Whyte and Parker played 12 invigorating rounds, with both hitting the canvas.
Whyte won his dramatic heavyweight fight by unanimous decision at the O2 Arena.
‘The Body Snatcher’ is now planning a rematch with the Recent Zealander, who is looking to clear his name after testing positive for cocaine following his October defeat to Fabio Wardley.
“There are a lot of good fights and Joseph Parker is one of them,” the 38-year-old said Ring Magazine.
“I would love to fight Joseph Parker, I think it’s a really good fight.
“He has to come back, he has to be cleared or whatever. I don’t know the situation.
“So in the meantime I have to stay busy and fight my way back, so let’s see.
“I feel like I still have a little bit to give, so let’s see what we can do to finish the season on a high.
“I’m training now and I want to come back in May or June.
“Now it’s just a matter of training and seeing what comes out on this kind of date.”
The former world title challenger from Brixton has not fought since a crushing first-round knockout defeat to rising contender Moses Itauma last August in Riyad.
Former world champion Parker won six times on spin before being stopped in the 11th round against Wardley, losing the WBO interim title and a shot at unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.
The 34-year-old says he is going through this process after failing the test and hopes it will be resolved soon.
“Let’s hope so [I’m back] soon,” Parker said Professional boxing fans.
“I’m just going through the process and practicing patience.
“We just have to be patient and learn from what they say happened.
“I know what happened and I handed over everything, so let’s see.”
The post Dillian Whyte Eyes Joseph Parker Rematch appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
Tony Yoka has broken his silence on Lawrence Okolie’s failed test that canceled their scheduled heavyweight fight.
On Saturday in Paris, Yoka was scheduled to face Okolie in a fierce heavyweight fight.
But on Tuesday, the Briton failed a VADA test, reportedly for GHRP 2 and its metabolite M8, a synthetic substance that stimulates the body to release human growth hormone.
Promoter Frank Warren tried to find a slow replacement, but later canceled the entire show.
Yoka (33) admits that he was bitterly disappointed with the situation.
“I was disappointed because I wanted to fight,” said the 33-year-old talkSPORT.
“Of course I was ready.
“It’s not like it happened a few months before, it was three, four days before the fight.
“It was a great opportunity.
“It would have put me in a really good position, so it really worried me.
“What was more disappointing to me was that they just canceled the entire show, but I understand it’s a business.”
The Frenchman says he won’t wait too long and has been told he will either fight on the card Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois May 9 in Manchester or on the bill Dave Allen vs Filip Hrgovic on May 16 in Doncaster.
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Okolie, the WBC’s number one contender for Oleksandr Usyk’s title, promised in a statement to clear his name.
“Before anyone starts imagining the worst, after last year’s bicep injury, I suffered an elbow injury on the same shoulder during this camp.
“I underwent treatment and now we are here.
“I hope common sense will prevail.
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“I will of course cooperate fully with all relevant authorities and I am confident that any investigation will clear my name.
“I will not be making any further comments at this time.
“Thank you for all your support and see you soon.”
The post “I Was Nervous” – Tony Yoka’s Reaction to Lawrence Okolie’s Failed Test appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
David Benavidez is already looking to the future ahead of next week’s showdown with Zurdo Ramirez.
Benavidez challenges Zurdo for his unified WBO and WBA cruiserweight world titles next Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live on DAZN pay-per-view.
“The Mexican Monster” is moving up from lightweight heavyweight, where he holds the WBC crown, in a bid to become a three-division world champion.
An undisputed 175-pound title fight with Dmitry Bivol has so far eluded the undefeated 29-year-old, but he insists he will return to the weight class after the Ramirez fight in an attempt to lure Bivol to fight him.
“My plan wasn’t just to abandon the lightweight heavyweight division,” Benavidez said Ariel Helwani show.
“My plan was this [to] come up, win two titles, come back and make this fight with me and Bivol even bigger.
“My dream is to become unified champion.
“It would be wise for me to go back downstairs.”
Bivol, the holder of the remaining IBF, WBA and WBO belts, will defend his IBF title against mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30 in Russia.
The 35-year-old won the undisputed crown, among others revenge victory over Artur Beterbiev in his last appearance last February.
The Russian gave up the WBC belt, which Benavidez currently holds, in pursuit of a third meeting with Beterbiev, which ultimately did not take place.
Benavidez, who stopped Anthony Yarde in Riyad in November, is also hoping to fight former undisputed lightweight heavyweight champion Beterbiev, who hasn’t fought since his only professional loss to Bivol.
“After this fight [against Bivol] when I win the titles,” he added.
“I’m going to fight Beterbiev.
“I’m probably most excited about Beterbiev.
“These are two monsters heading on a collision course.
“Beterbiev was a bogeyman for a long, long, long time.
“Being the monster I am, I have to go in there and get rid of the bogeyman.”
The post David Benavidez Eyeing Two Names After Zurdo Ramirez appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
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