Murray to fight French middleweight champion (From St Helens Star)

St Helens' Martin Murray to fight French middleweight champion Karim Achour

12:19pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in Boxing

ST HELENS boxer Martin Murray will fight French middleweight champion Karim Achour next month, it was announced today.

They will meet on Hatton Promotions ‘Road To Glory’ bill at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday, June 16.

The bill is one of the biggest being staged in the UK this year and includes the vacant WBA interim world super-bantamweight title fight between Bury’s Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe.

It is the first fight for unbeaten British champion Murray since he drew against WBA super champion Felix Sturm last year.

Achour, 25, who has won 13 of his 15 fights, will provide the opposition for Murray who is ranked in the top five by the WBA, WBC and WBO.

Hatton Promotions CEO Ricky Hatton said: “Martin is being patient, but I am certain we will deliver another major fight later this year.

“In the meantime it is all about keeping him busy and winning against decent opposition.

“Since the Sturm fight a match against WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr fell through, but he got over that by getting straight back into the gym.

“Achour is a decent test for Martin in his first fight since Sturm, but I am predicting a big performance that will prove he’s Britain’s number one middleweight.”