Robbie Murray
Encyclopedia
"The Flurry" Robbie Murray (aka Robert "Casper
" Murray) born in Dublin, Ireland
is an Irish
professional boxer in the welterweight
division. Murray has now moved to the welterweight
but all of his fights as a professional were fought in the welterweight
division.
, west County Dublin
in 1976. Robbie Murray is a cousin of Irish hip-hop artist Ste V Roc
and Irish
Middleweight
champion Jim Rock
.
Murray is promoted by Brian Peters
and although a native Dubliner, Murray, like his cousin Rock, is trained by Jim Breen and fights out of the Breen Gym in Belfast
along with Eamonn Magee
and Neil Sinclair
.
Murray is also an author
who has penned novel
.
at local, nation
al and represented the Irish national boxing team
at an international
competition. He also enjoyed victory professional James Moore
. After seeing the success of his cousin and after coming through a good experience sparring with "Shamrock
" Shea Neary this convinced Murray that he had the skills to become a professional.
and Eamonn Magee
.
Both novices showed that they lacked but also showed their grit and determination in this scrappy and untidy bout. In the fourth round Murray cut McIlwaine badly over his left eye and the referee stopped the fight in the following round by the referee giving Murray a stoppage win in his first outing as a professional.
boxer Dafydd Carlin on the undercard of the Neil Sinclair
and Jim Rock v Takaloo bout.
The fight took place over four fiercely contested rounds at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. Murray got off to a great start when he knocked Carlin to the canvas with a sweeping right hook in the first round and also dominated the second. Carlin came back strongly in the third round to trouble Murray. However, Murray knowing that with the knockdown in the first round Carlin would require a knockdown or knockout of his own to gain a draw or victory covered up in the final round to take the win by 38-36 on the scorecards.
at Frank Maloney
's "Fight Factory Gym" in London
. Murray returned from his time in London enthused and his trainer, Jim Breen, was sure Murray was ready to step up a level. Murray was to return to the ring on 30 October 2007 to face unbeaten Scottish
fighter Ronnie Nailen at the Ulster Hall
in Belfast. However, Murray was forced to pull out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by Glenn McClarnon.
Murray's trademark, which earned him the nickname "the flurry", was his hand speed and solid punch. He displayed this speed in his first fight after a gap of over a year in his impressive win over Nottingham
's Nigel Senior at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on 30 May 2004.
Murray began by attacking the head and body. Although Senior appeared to hold and cover Murray showed his speed and wasted few punches connecting flurries to the body. Senior was on the canvas in the second round though the referee, Emile Tiedt, adjudged it a slip. Senior was again on the canvas in the third but this time is was called as a low blow but Murray finally floored Senior legally in round four but Senior picked himself up once more to continue to the final bell and survive this one sided contest to finish which Murray won by 58 points to 56 points to extend his unbeaten run. After the fight Senior acknowledged that Murray was "a good kid, awkward to fight and he's got fast hands".
In what had become a familiar pattern Murray commanded the opening of the fight on workrate alone, throwing bunches of punches while Halls individual shots were heavier they were too infrequent.
Murray maintained his busy pace using height and reach advantages in the second round when Hall suddenly caught Murray sending Murray to the floor, for the first time in his career, in a flash knockdown. Despite rising quickly, Murray appeared dazed but by the end of the round Murray had returned to his busy style. In the third round Murray, with blood streaming from his nose, appeared more respectful of Hall's power and Hall seemed to be dictating the pace and tempo of the fight.
At the end of the third round, Murray's trainer, John Breen instructed to increase the workrate, which he duly did, taking the fourth and fifth on sheer punch volume. In the sixth it was Murray's turn to floor Hall with a right, left combination, which even the tally in terms on knockdowns.
In the final two rounds both fights tired and in the eighth and final round referee David Ervine docked Hall a point for holding. At the end of the fight the Belfast ref scored the bout 77-75 in favour of Murray which again extended his unbeaten record.
's Alan Temple for the vacant Irish Light Welterweight
championship National Boxing Stadium in Dublin on the undercard of a Bernard Dunne
fight. Murray had wanted to face London
based Galway
Olympian
, Francie Barrett but he stated ""I know Francie will want this title but unfortunately negotiations broke down this time....but I know he will not want anyone else to have it"
In any event Murray faced another London
based Galwegian
the former British Southern Area Lightweight title holder Peter McDonagh
for the belt. Murray was a comparative novice in the professional ranks in comparison to McDonagh who was an experienced campaigner having already faced the likes of Peter Buckley
, Chilli John and David Burke, whereas Murray had never been past eight rounds.
In the opening rounds Murray dominated McDonagh with a higher workrate and McDonagh appeared content to counter punch. Through the middle round McDonagh began to stand firm against Murray's onslaught of flurries. Murray's high workrate left his defense open at times which McDonagh began to take advantage of.
Towards the latter rounds McDonagh appeared to fade and become ragged, however, Murray's fitness told as he was able to continue his marauding style, pushing forward and making his superior workrate count.
The tenth and final round highlight the desire that both men had to win an Irish title. A fresher looking Murray still seemed to gain the upper hand in the exchanges to finish the fight strongly. Belfast referee Sean Russell scored the fight 98-94 to give Murray the Irish national title.
Murray was then presented with the belt by former professional, Sligo
nian, Vinny Feeney
and then stated "I knew my persistent and aggressive style would catch up with him eventually. He was tough though, he worked hard throughout and it was an eye opener for me and just what I needed at this stage in my career".
has been cancelled as Murray has now vacated the Irish title and stated that he is moving up to the welterweight division.
Murray is currently ranked 7th in Irish.boxing.com's rankings of welterweights after up a division, however, as a light welterweight he was ranked number in the Boxing Union of Ireland lists in 2005.
Casper
Caspar, one of the Three Biblical MagiCasper may refer to:-Given name:*Casper , 5th Century ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque*Caspar Badrutt , Swiss businessman and pioneer of alpine resorts...
" Murray) born in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
is an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
professional boxer in the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
division. Murray has now moved to the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
but all of his fights as a professional were fought in the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
division.
Background
Murray was born into a large family from PalmerstownPalmerstown
Palmerstown , occasionally referred to as Palmerston, is a suburb of Dublin,Ireland. It is located about 8km west of the city centre, in the administrative county of South Dublin. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey, to the west by Lucan, to the south by Ballyfermot and to theeast...
, west County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
in 1976. Robbie Murray is a cousin of Irish hip-hop artist Ste V Roc
Ste V Roc
Ste-V-Roc aka Steve Rock is a hip-hop artist and MC. Roc's lyrics reflect modern-day urban Irish culture and deal with social injustice....
and Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
champion Jim Rock
Jim Rock
Jim Rock, nicknamed the Pink Panther, is an Irish professional boxer and current IBC middleweight and Irish super middleweight champion....
.
Murray is promoted by Brian Peters
Brian Peters (boxing promoter)
Brian Peters is an Irish boxing promoter. Under the banner of "Brian Peters Promotions" he promotes Matthew Macklin and Dubliners Jim Rock and European Super Bantamweight champion Bernard Dunne....
and although a native Dubliner, Murray, like his cousin Rock, is trained by Jim Breen and fights out of the Breen Gym in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
along with Eamonn Magee
Eamonn Magee
Eamonn Magee nicknamed the Terminator is a former boxer who is now a trainer with the Breen Team in Belfast...
and Neil Sinclair
Neil Sinclair
Neil Sinclair aka Sinky is a professional boxer. He usually fights at light middleweight or the divisions either side.-Amateur career:...
.
Murray is also an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who has penned novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
.
Amateur career
Murray boxed as an amateurAmateur boxing
Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...
at local, nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al and represented the Irish national boxing team
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association is the governing body of amateur boxing in Ireland. It was founded in 1911 following a meeting in Dublin.-Structure:...
at an international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
competition. He also enjoyed victory professional James Moore
James Moore (boxer)
James Moore born in Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a professional boxer. Moore currently fights in the Light Middleweight division although he fought as a welterweight during his amateur career.-Amateur titles:...
. After seeing the success of his cousin and after coming through a good experience sparring with "Shamrock
Shamrock
The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....
" Shea Neary this convinced Murray that he had the skills to become a professional.
Debut
Murray then turned professional in November 2001, winning his first fight at the National Boxing Arena in Dublin, in which Murray beat fellow debutant Paul McIlwaine on a card that included Steve CollinsSteve Collins
Stephen Collins, more commonly known as Steve Collins, is a former professional boxer. Known as the "The Celtic Warrior", Collins is the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion....
and Eamonn Magee
Eamonn Magee
Eamonn Magee nicknamed the Terminator is a former boxer who is now a trainer with the Breen Team in Belfast...
.
Both novices showed that they lacked but also showed their grit and determination in this scrappy and untidy bout. In the fourth round Murray cut McIlwaine badly over his left eye and the referee stopped the fight in the following round by the referee giving Murray a stoppage win in his first outing as a professional.
Carlin fight
In February 2003, Murray faced WelshWelsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
boxer Dafydd Carlin on the undercard of the Neil Sinclair
Neil Sinclair
Neil Sinclair aka Sinky is a professional boxer. He usually fights at light middleweight or the divisions either side.-Amateur career:...
and Jim Rock v Takaloo bout.
The fight took place over four fiercely contested rounds at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. Murray got off to a great start when he knocked Carlin to the canvas with a sweeping right hook in the first round and also dominated the second. Carlin came back strongly in the third round to trouble Murray. However, Murray knowing that with the knockdown in the first round Carlin would require a knockdown or knockout of his own to gain a draw or victory covered up in the final round to take the win by 38-36 on the scorecards.
The Flurry beats Senior
Murray then travelled train and sparSparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
at Frank Maloney
Frank Maloney
Frank Maloney is a boxing manager and promoter and United Kingdom Independence Party politician. He is most famous for managing Lennox Lewis to the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of the World.-Early life:...
's "Fight Factory Gym" in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Murray returned from his time in London enthused and his trainer, Jim Breen, was sure Murray was ready to step up a level. Murray was to return to the ring on 30 October 2007 to face unbeaten Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
fighter Ronnie Nailen at the Ulster Hall
Ulster Hall
The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade B1 listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences...
in Belfast. However, Murray was forced to pull out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by Glenn McClarnon.
Murray's trademark, which earned him the nickname "the flurry", was his hand speed and solid punch. He displayed this speed in his first fight after a gap of over a year in his impressive win over Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
's Nigel Senior at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on 30 May 2004.
Murray began by attacking the head and body. Although Senior appeared to hold and cover Murray showed his speed and wasted few punches connecting flurries to the body. Senior was on the canvas in the second round though the referee, Emile Tiedt, adjudged it a slip. Senior was again on the canvas in the third but this time is was called as a low blow but Murray finally floored Senior legally in round four but Senior picked himself up once more to continue to the final bell and survive this one sided contest to finish which Murray won by 58 points to 56 points to extend his unbeaten run. After the fight Senior acknowledged that Murray was "a good kid, awkward to fight and he's got fast hands".
Ceri Hall fight at the National Stadium
Murray's toughest contest of his career came on 19 February 2005, at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin against Ceri Hall.In what had become a familiar pattern Murray commanded the opening of the fight on workrate alone, throwing bunches of punches while Halls individual shots were heavier they were too infrequent.
Murray maintained his busy pace using height and reach advantages in the second round when Hall suddenly caught Murray sending Murray to the floor, for the first time in his career, in a flash knockdown. Despite rising quickly, Murray appeared dazed but by the end of the round Murray had returned to his busy style. In the third round Murray, with blood streaming from his nose, appeared more respectful of Hall's power and Hall seemed to be dictating the pace and tempo of the fight.
At the end of the third round, Murray's trainer, John Breen instructed to increase the workrate, which he duly did, taking the fourth and fifth on sheer punch volume. In the sixth it was Murray's turn to floor Hall with a right, left combination, which even the tally in terms on knockdowns.
In the final two rounds both fights tired and in the eighth and final round referee David Ervine docked Hall a point for holding. At the end of the fight the Belfast ref scored the bout 77-75 in favour of Murray which again extended his unbeaten record.
Irish title victory
On 14 May 2005, Murray was due to fight HartlepoolHartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
's Alan Temple for the vacant Irish Light Welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
championship National Boxing Stadium in Dublin on the undercard of a Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne is a retired Irish professional boxer and a former WBA, and European super bantamweight champion.On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne waged the war that he would be best remembered for and defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA super bantamweight champion in a fight...
fight. Murray had wanted to face London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Francie Barrett but he stated ""I know Francie will want this title but unfortunately negotiations broke down this time....but I know he will not want anyone else to have it"
In any event Murray faced another London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based Galwegian
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
the former British Southern Area Lightweight title holder Peter McDonagh
Peter McDonagh
Peter McDonagh in Galway, Ireland is a professional boxer. He usually fights at lightweight or the divisions either side.-First professional fight:...
for the belt. Murray was a comparative novice in the professional ranks in comparison to McDonagh who was an experienced campaigner having already faced the likes of Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley is the name of:* Peter Buckley , English journeyman welterweight boxer* Peter J. Buckley, Oregon State Representative, District 5 * Peter Buckley , British former professional racing cyclist...
, Chilli John and David Burke, whereas Murray had never been past eight rounds.
In the opening rounds Murray dominated McDonagh with a higher workrate and McDonagh appeared content to counter punch. Through the middle round McDonagh began to stand firm against Murray's onslaught of flurries. Murray's high workrate left his defense open at times which McDonagh began to take advantage of.
Towards the latter rounds McDonagh appeared to fade and become ragged, however, Murray's fitness told as he was able to continue his marauding style, pushing forward and making his superior workrate count.
The tenth and final round highlight the desire that both men had to win an Irish title. A fresher looking Murray still seemed to gain the upper hand in the exchanges to finish the fight strongly. Belfast referee Sean Russell scored the fight 98-94 to give Murray the Irish national title.
Murray was then presented with the belt by former professional, Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
nian, Vinny Feeney
Vinny Feeney
Vincent "Vinny" Feeney, who boxed under the name Vince Feeney with the nickname of "the Sligo Kid", is a former professional boxer from the Maugheraboy area of Sligo Town....
and then stated "I knew my persistent and aggressive style would catch up with him eventually. He was tough though, he worked hard throughout and it was an eye opener for me and just what I needed at this stage in my career".
Move to welterweight
Murray has only fought intermittently since debut and a highly anticipated Irish title fight against US based Irishman Oisin FaganOisin Fagan
Oisin Fagan, nicknamed "Gael Force", is an Irish professional boxer based in Oklahoma City, U.S., who fights in the light welterweight and lightweight divisions.-Background:...
has been cancelled as Murray has now vacated the Irish title and stated that he is moving up to the welterweight division.
Murray is currently ranked 7th in Irish.boxing.com's rankings of welterweights after up a division, however, as a light welterweight he was ranked number in the Boxing Union of Ireland lists in 2005.
See also
- Jim RockJim RockJim Rock, nicknamed the Pink Panther, is an Irish professional boxer and current IBC middleweight and Irish super middleweight champion....