Martin Murray and Gabriel Rosado's world title challenges remembered
Thursday 20 April 2017 12:01, UK
Martin Murray and Gabriel Rosado will fight to keep their careers alive this Saturday night.
The top-of-the-bill middleweight contest at Liverpool's Echo Arena, live on Sky Sports, pits two former world title challengers against each other in a bout which neither man can afford to lose.
We look back at their previous world title woes.
Live Fight Night
Sturm vs Murray, 2 December 2011
Murray drew his first world title fight against WBA title holder Felix Sturm in Germany. The judges scored the contest 115-113 (to Murray,) 116-112 (to Sturm) and 114-114.
The early stages of the fight were evenly matched as Murray boxed well to keep the champion at bay. However, Sturm came on strong in the middle rounds to land eye-catching shots in the fifth and sixth session.
Murray then re-grouped and had his best spell of the fight in rounds eight and 10 in an evenly matched contest. Going into the championship rounds the fight was still anyone's to take, but a heavy shot in the closing stages of the 12th nearly sent Murray to the canvas and may have cost him the decision.
Golovkin vs Rosado, 19 January 2013
'King' Rosado challenged Gennady Golovkin at Madison Square Gardens for the Kazakh's WBA middleweight crown.
The spirited Philadelphian gave it his all but it would not be enough as 'GGG' opened up a cut in the second round before inflicting further facial damage on Rosado in the fifth session.
The fight was eventually stopped in the seventh round as Golokvin successfully defended his belt for the sixth time.
Martinez vs Murray, 27 April 2013
Murray travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as he bid to become a world champion at the second attempt against WBC king Sergio Martinez.
In front of a hostile crowd of 40,000 at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Murray produced a tremendous display to dominate parts of the fight and floor the champion in the eighth round.
However, Martinez rallied and took the decision 115-112 on all three judges' scorecards in a fight which could have gone either. The defeat was Murray's first professional career loss.
Quillin vs Rosado, 26 October 2013
Nine months after his fight with Golovkin, Rosado fought Peter Quillin for the WBO middleweight belt.
However, it would not be Rosado's night as he was outclassed by 'Kid Chocolate'. He was floored in the second and stopped in the 10th round due to a bad cut to the eye.
Quillin retained his belt as the scorecards read 90-80, 87-83 and 89-81 at the time of stoppage.
Golovkin vs Murray, 21 February 2015
Murray travelled to Monte Carlo to face the big-punching Golovkin for the WBA and 'interim' WBC middleweight world titles.
The St Helen's man showed tremendous bravery in a fight which he was getting bloodied from start to finish.
'GGG' would eventually end the contest in the 11th round to retain his titles.
Abraham vs Murray, 21 November 2015
Murray travelled away from home again as he attempted to win a world title at the fourth attempt against WBO titlist Arthur Abraham in Germany.
In a cautious affair, the first couple of round were hard to score. However, the champion connected with a left hook in the third to land the first significant punch of the fight before backing his man up several times during the middle rounds.
Murray rallied in the second half of the fight and momentarily staggered Abraham in the eighth, but this success was short-lived as the champion retained his title via split decision 115-112, 112-115, 116-111.
