SHORTLY before boarding the plane to South Africa seven weeks ago world middleweight contender Martin Murray fulfilled what is now a standard pre-fight ritual by visiting the graveside of his former trainer John Chisnall.

It is a measure of the high-esteem he still holds for the man and mentor who gave him his first taste of boxing as a seven-year-old.

Murray, who will battle for Gennady Golovkin for the WBA Super World middleweight, interim WBC World middleweight and IBO middleweight titles at the Salle des Étoiles concert hall in Monte Carlo on Saturday night, has come a long way from that first taster session at St Helens Town ABC and now stands on the threshold of one of boxing’s greatest shocks.

Chissy passed away in August 2005, but not before guiding Murray to schoolboy and ABA titles and an England vest.

Murray’s passage from outstanding schoolboy protégé to fully-fledged world title contender did not always run smoothly – but the now mature 32-year-old father of three can reflect that even the bad things that threatened to derail his career “happened for a reason.”

There were breaks in his boxing – a period he spent in prison in which he describes himself as being “an idiot” – but believes sport and meeting his wife Gemma put him back on the right path.

He said: “When John died I realised I had to do something with my life otherwise I was going to be stupid all of my life.

“John was like a father figure to me. We were really, really close. Unfortunately, when he died I was in prison and I was really upset. I had been speaking to him all the time and wanted to be there for him.

“Not being able to attend his funeral is one of my biggest regrets.

“Getting back into the gym and then meeting my missus at the end of 2005 probably saved me and I knew that was me settled and knew everything I needed to get out of my system had gone.”