Q&A “Mighty” Joe Murray “I’m ready to fight”

Following on from speaking to fellow British Olympians David Price, Tony Jeffries & Frankie Gavin we recently caught up with Joe Murray who represented Great Britain in the Bantamweight class. Murray will turn pro at Super Bantamweight at just 22 he has the world at his feet. He is gym mate of Jeffries, Matthew Macklin who challenge’s for the British Middleweight title in March & his brother John who is the current British Lightweight champion. Here’s what Murray had to say about his experience’s.

Hi Joe, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright - Firstly you represented Britain in the Olympics at Bantamweight, have you decided if you will be going pro yet? If so who will be your Manager/trainer & Promoter? Do you have a working date for a pro debut?
Joe Murray - Yeah I’ll be turning pro. I don’t know who my promoter will be but my manager & trainer will be Joe Gallagher.

Anson Wainwright - Do you have a working date for your pro debut?
Joe Murray - No I haven’t got a date to fight. I’ve been in the gym and ticking over. I’m ready to fight.

Anson Wainwright - What did you make of the Olympic experience?
Joe Murray - It was a great experience doing the opening ceremony and meeting famous people like Roger Federer & Jackie Chang people like that.

Anson Wainwright - You lost in the first round, what can you say about how you felt?
Joe Murray - Obviously at the time it was gutting for me to lose in the first fight. I thought I won the fight. But it might be a blessing. It put me back in the gym, it made me hungry. I’m in the gym and ready to fight again. If I had won the Olympics I may have taken my foot off the pedal.

Anson Wainwright - You did significantly better at the World Championship where you got a bronze losing to eventual silver medallist and Olympic gold medallist Enkhbatyn Badar-Uuganin. What can you tell us about this?
Joe Murray - He’s a good fighter. It was a close fight between me and him at the worlds. It was a good fight. He’s good at what he does, he gets ahead and then he runs away. He has a good amateur style. He proved it because he’s one of the most successful, silver at the worlds and I thought he should of won there but he proved when he avenged it an won the Olympics, so showed he’s not a one trick pony he’s quality.

Anson Wainwright - You enjoyed a pretty good amateur career with the Worlds & Olympics what titles did you win and what was your final record?
Joe Murray - I won Junior Olympics, four nations, Junior ABA, Schools Boys, World bronze, Klitschko tournament. I won medals in most tournaments I was in. I think I had about 80 fights for England winning around 70 Overall about 100 and lost around 15.

Anson Wainwright - Your brother is John Murray the British Lightweight champion so boxing is clearly in your blood, how did you get into it?
Joe Murray - Really I did cross country and I wanted to keep fit, so my mum took me to a boxercise class which was at the boxing gym and my brother was there. I tried to keep fit so I did the boxing and sparring and I got a hunger for it so then I did the boxing more than the running side.

Anson Wainwright - You must be proud of your brother, it also leaves a mark for you to try to achieve the same, does this make for added pressure?
Joe Murray – No not at all. John’s done what he’s done and I’m doing what I’m doing. When John’s won titles it shows me what I can do and that it’s not the impossible. It’s a great achievement what he’s done. He’s working really hard. It’s like the Hatton’s it’s no joking we just get on with it. Obviously it’s better because you’ve got someone to run with.

Anson Wainwright - What do you like doing when you’re not boxing?
Joe Murray - Just really relaxing, going to the pictures, seeing people you don’t see often from school because when you’re in the gym you don’t see much of your family or friends.

Anson Wainwright - Who’s your favourite current Boxer and who is your boxing idol?
Joe Murray - My favourite boxer of all time was Prince Naseem Hamed. My favourite boxer now is Floyd Mayweather but now he’s retired.

Anson Wainwright - Do you have a message for anyone?
Joe Murray - Just keep to the gym and make sure you get the road work done & thanks for there support.

Thanks for your time Joe and good luck in the pro’s

Anson Wainwright
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