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Billy Joe Saunders defeated Briton Martin Murray by unanimous decision to successfully retain his WBO super middleweight crown at Wembley Arena.
It was the 30th victory of his undefeated professional career for Saunders, who entered the world title fight as a 1-25 heavy favorite by the bookies.
Saunders took the fight 120-109 120-109 118-110 on the judges’ scorecards.
The 31-year-old is now looking at the winner of Callum Smith’s fight against Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez on December 19.
“I’ve been out for over a year and it’s like boxing in the graveyard,” Saunders said.
“I like performing for audiences and I tried to set the pace, but he’s a crafty old fox and he ties you up well.
“He probably needed the rounds for the New Year and I hope he has a good Christmas and gets back to his family. The main thing is that I’m 30-0.”
It was Murray’s fifth missed shot at a world title and the 38-year-old later admitted it could be his last fight.
‘Let’s get the big names out’
Saunders delivered a controlled and confident display, finding success with uppercuts and body shots as the southpaw dominated the early exchanges.
Murray tripped over the mat in the fourth round, and while no knockdown was called, the veteran fighter clearly felt a powerful combination from Saunders.
“It was a clear fall,” Saunders said. “That could have changed the whole fight, if it was called a takedown.”
Murray jabbed in the seventh and was competitive throughout, despite saying his back was in the eighth round, but Saunders was the dominant fighter and remained disciplined throughout the 12 rounds.
Saunders later said his next outing “has to be a great fight.”
He came close to securing a fight with Álvarez in May before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Hertfordshire fighter was then considered an opponent for the Mexican in September, but withdrew from the talks, suggesting that he did not want to enter such a fight without proper preparation, even if he was offered a significant amount of money.
Instead, his British compatriot Smith agreed to face Alvarez on short notice later this month.
“It’s very important to me to stay in the gym now because I’m not getting any younger,” Saunders added. “We’re going to bring out the big names. I need a big fight to get up, I don’t want to sit in the dressing room, singing and dancing.”
What’s next for Murray?
Saunders said he was looking to “retire” his opponent heading into the fight and, although Murray did not promise to fight again, he acknowledged that this was his last chance to win a world title.
The 38-year-old has won 11 different belts during his career, but an elusive world crown has always turned out to be out of reach for the St. Helens man.
After a controversial draw with Felix Sturm and an equally contentious loss to Sergio Martinez, Gennady Golovkin inflicted the first stop on Murray’s career in 2015.
His fourth title shot, against Arthur Abraham, ended in a split decision win for the German at home and finally, five years later, this loss to Saunders appears to have put an end to the Englishman’s hopes.
Murray feared the coronavirus pandemic would have ended his career, but he returned to the ring after a 13-month absence saying he had a great fight left.
“Five times for the world title, five times, I’m not going to get six,” he said. “I’m 38 years old, I just want to spend time with my family now, never say never, but I think that’s it. I tried.
“It’s had a lot of wear and tear on my body, never say never, but I’m ready for a good rest.
“I had a colorful past before turning pro. When I turned pro, I said I didn’t want to regret it, and I have. I could have been a double weight world champion if the judges or luck were on my side.” but it didn’t work out that way. “
On the billboard, Belfast fighter James Tennyson he did quick work with Canadian Josh O’Reilly in a eliminator for the WBA lightweight title, stopping his opponent after two minutes and 14 seconds.
British bantamweight Shannon Courtenay she bounced back from the first loss of her professional career in August to stop Poland’s Dorota Norek in the seventh round.
What the experts said …
BBC boxing expert Steve Bunce: “It was 12 tough rounds. It was a classic Billy Joe performance. He’s not the most skilled we’ve seen him, but he did what he had to do.
“It was ugly, it wasn’t spectacular, but it was a big solid display. Martin Murray, even at 38, is not a shell that can be easily blown away.”
Former World Middleweight Champion Andy Lee on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: “Saunders did what he always does, which is do enough to win.
“While what we saw tonight may not have been enough to beat Callum Smith or Canelo, when he faces them in the ring it will be a different Billy Joe Saunders.
“He will improve his game. He always fights at the level of the person he faces.”
