After world title setbacks against Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin, Murray had been hoping to finally achieve success on the biggest stage against the solid, durable Abraham, and the St Helens fighter began the bout boxing to a gameplan and enjoying a few success.
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In the 8th round, Murray had Abraham hurt from a right hand. That was a really important round for Murray, because was clearly outworked in that round after the point deduction.
Down the stretch, Murray was deducted a point for what referee Benny Esteves Jr considered to be consistent holding, which when all said and done wouldn’t have saved the Briton from defeat.
Though he matched the Armenia-born German in the opening three rounds, getting close any time Abraham looked like unloading, Murray was pushed backwards from round four onwards and took a huge right in the seventh. The 33 year old is the second Brit to challenge Abraham for his WBO strap this year after Crolla’s gym-mate Paul Smith met him in February in a rematch, and “Million Dollar” thinks Murray will dethrone “King Arthur”.
Abraham, his guard high, and throwing power shots, fought his way back into a very close contest by the tenth stanza.
Murray will come again – and insisted he will not desist until he holds a world crown. Most of the heavy shots came from Abraham.
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In Manchester, Ryan Burnett, the talented rising star from Northern Ireland defeated veteran Jason Booth to claim the vacant British bantamweight title with a dominant twelve round display to keep his unbeaten record.
