Last weekend in Manchester, rising young star John Murray took on veteran Jonathan Thaxton for the vacant British lightweight title.
Photographer Justin McKie was ringside at the Altrincham Leisure Center to capture all the action from the much anticipated lightweight contest.
Jonathan Thaxton vs John MurrayPhotos © Justin McKie - Click on the images to enlarge. 
After 44 pro fights in a career spanning 17 years, the former British and European champion promised that win or lose, this would be it.
Below - The undefeated 24 year old pressure fighter warms up on the pads with trainer Joe Gallagher.
The 35 year old southpaw circled away from his younger foe, while picking his spots to attack.
Murray upped his intensity in the second round, stinging Thaxton with a hard right early in the frame. The younger man pressed his advantage, aggressively flurrying with both hands.
Sensing his edge, Murray kept coming hard, absorbing Thaxton's best counters without blinking, while dishing out most of the punishment.
By the third round, the undefeated rising star had his full offensive arsenal - jabs, hooks, right hands - all working effectively.
Many in attendance felt the stoppage - 2:30 of round 4 - may have been too soon, but with the bout becoming increasingly one sided, it was hard to find too much fault with the referee's decision.
John Murray - now 28-0 and once again British lightweight champion.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Photo Gallery: John Murray vs Jonathan Thaxton
Monday, October 5, 2009
British Scene Weekend Recap: Murray Stops Thaxton
Dave Oakes recaps Saturday's British lightweight title fight between John Murray and Jonathan Thaxton.
Photos © Justin McKie
In a battle of former British champions, John Murray came out on top on Saturday night, stopping Jon Thaxton in the fourth round to reclaim the British lightweight title.
Murray lost the title on the scales last time out and was determined to put things right this time around. Thaxton was also fired up, knowing that victory would secure him permanent possession of the Lonsdale belt, whilst defeat would surely bring an end to his long career.
It was Thaxton who started the better, pot shotting and moving before Murray had a chance to counter. Murray seemed to be taking his time whilst keeping his hands held high and his chin tucked down. His defence has been viewed as one of his weaknesses but his concentration levels were high right from the first bell against Thaxton, who’s a noted puncher early on in fights.
Murray found his rhythm in the second round, he landed an overhand right early in the round that stiffened Thaxton’s legs. Murray normally goes all out for the knockout against a hurt opponent but he seemed intent on not taking any risks in this fight and stuck to boxing behind a high guard and using his speed to counter Thaxton.
Murray dominated the round, landing the overhand right repeatedly and using his speed advantage to full effect. He caught Thaxton with a hard left hook on the bell that seemed to hurt Thaxton again.
Thaxton tried to re-establish control in the third but was being beaten to the punch and was feeling every blow that Murray landed. It was yet another overhand right that had Thaxton hurt midway through the round, this time Murray followed it up with a hard left uppercut and a left hook to the body.
It was increasingly looking like Thaxton was having one fight too many and his usual sturdy punch resistance was starting to let him down. He was hurt yet again towards the end of the round when Murray detonated another heavy left hook onto Thaxton’s chin.
The end came in the fourth when a Murray right hand had Thaxton staggering backwards towards the ropes, the referee jumped in after Murray followed up with a couple of hooks but I felt that the stoppage was a touch premature.
Thaxton wasn’t that badly hurt, and whilst he was more than likely going to get stopped in the next couple of rounds, I felt he deserved a chance to turn things around. He’s been a pro for over fifteen years and has been in the mix at championship level for most of his career, I feel a fighter like that should be given a bit more of a chance to prove he’s okay to continue. That said, I can’t criticise the referee for erring on the side of caution, I’d rather see a fight being stopped a touch early than it being stopped too late.
Murray takes his unbeaten record to 28 fights (16 KO’s) and is keen on fights against Anthony Mezaache and Michael Katsidis. A fight against Katsidis has the makings of a ‘fight of the year’ type fight but I’m unsure as to how easy that fight would be to make.
The defeat must surely mean the end of the road for Thaxton. He’s had many highs and lows in an eventful career that has seen him claim both British and European titles. He always gave his best and can leave boxing with his head held high.
e-mail Dave Oakes
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Saturday, August 22, 2009
British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter
Dave Oakes is back with the second half of The Boxing Bulletin's preview of the upcoming British boxing season.
In today's preview:
Matthew Macklin (photo © Justin McKie) vs Amin Asikainen - European middleweight title
Jon Thaxton vs John Murray - British lightweight title
Sam Sexton vs Martin Rogan - Commonwealth heavyweight title
Jason Booth vs Michael Hunter - British super-bantamweight title
Macklin vs Asikainen
The quality match-ups keep coming and 25th September sees Matthew Macklin challenge Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title. Macklin decided to vacate his British title to take this fight and must win to show that it was the correct decision to do so.
Macklin is finally discovering the form that made him one of the hottest prospects in British boxing when he turned pro in 2001. His career has been a slow burner but he’s now got the experience to not just challenge for the European title but to win it.
The quality match-ups keep coming and 25th September sees Matthew Macklin challenge Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title. Macklin decided to vacate his British title to take this fight and must win to show that it was the correct decision to do so.
Macklin is finally discovering the form that made him one of the hottest prospects in British boxing when he turned pro in 2001. His career has been a slow burner but he’s now got the experience to not just challenge for the European title but to win it.
Asikainen is a quality fighter and will be hoping to regain the belt that he held for two years before his shock knockout loss to Sebastian Sylvester. He’s also suffered a bad knockout defeat against Khoren Gevor and there are still unanswered questions about his punch resistance. There’s a feeling that whilst Asikainen is great when he’s in control, he falls apart when he starts taking heavy shots.
If Macklin can produce the same for that saw him demolish Wayne Elcock inside three rounds last time out, and applies pressure from the first bell, I can see no reason why he can’t stop Asikainen in the mid to late rounds.
Thaxton vs Murray
If you thought September looked pretty good then October is shaping up to be even better. The two best lightweights in Britain do battle on the first Saturday of the month, with Jon Thaxton and John Murray squaring off for the vacant British title.
The undefeated Murray lost the title on the scales last time out but followed it up with a solid performance against the always competitive Scott Lawton, whom he stopped in the sixth round after dishing out a vicious beating.
This fight is make or break time for Thaxton, he’s lost three of his last four and is starting to look like a fighter on the slide. The most surprising of those defeats came in his last fight when he was out-pointed by the game but limited Tom Glover up at light-welterweight. Thaxton believes that the extra weight was the reason behind his loss to Glover, but having spent half of his career fighting at that weight, I find it hard to believe that it would make such a huge amount of difference against someone as limited as Glover.
Thaxton should provide Murray with the hardest fight of his career but I expect the young Mancunian to have too much hunger, stamina and aggression for Thaxton to cope with.
Sexton vs Rogan
Next up is the much anticipated rematch between Sam Sexton and Martin Rogan on October 9th at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast.
Their first meeting in May this year was an action packed back and forth fight that either boxer could’ve won. Sexton started the better but started to struggle as the fight wore on. Rogan showed his usual grit and determination but made a fatal error when he stood back and waited for the referee to step in after wobbling Sexton with a couple of clubbing hooks in the 8th , all this did was allow Sexton to regain his composure, and his senses, when he should’ve gone in for the finish. The end came moments later when Rogan was stopped due to a badly swollen eye.
It was a rarity in that it was an enjoyable heavyweight fight with plenty of action. I expect the same this time but with Rogan coming out the victor via a late stoppage.
Booth vs Hunter
The best fight of the month could come a week later (October 16th) when Jason Booth defends his British super-bantamweight title against former world title challenger Michael Hunter. The ex amateur rivals have not been shy about letting people know of their dislike of each other, with Booth’s manager, Jimmy Gill, joining in by calling Hunter chinny and saying his man should be viewed as the red-hot favourite.
Booth is in the form of his life having won his last six fights, five of which were title fights. This is despite fighting at bantamweight and now super-bantamweight when he’s more of a natural flyweight. He’s always been a beautifully skilled boxer but has now got the experience and maturity to produce the performances everyone knew he was capable of.
The smooth skills of Booth should provide us with a nice clash of styles against the pressure fighting Hunter. Hunter is always at peak fitness, is always prepared to box or brawl his way to victory and has only been defeated once in thirty-one fights, when he was outclassed by Steve Molitor in a clash for the IBF title.
The main worries for Hunter will be his inactivity and his struggles to make the weight. He’s only fought three times in the past two and half years and two of those fights were up at super-featherweight. It was only a few years ago that Hunter was tearing through the division at British and European level but he seems to have lost his hunger since the Molitor defeat.
This fight is a real 50-50 battle; Booth has the skills to outbox Hunter, whilst Hunter has the size advantage and aggressive style to beat Booth. It’s a toss of a coin but I’ve got a feeling that if Hunter still has the desire to be a champion, he’ll find a way of winning a close fight.
e-mail Dave Oakes
Check out the first half of Dave's season preview: British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws
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Monday, July 20, 2009
British Scene: Cleverly Stops McIntosh
It was a very busy weekend in British boxing, and while most of the attention was focused on Amir Khan's winning effort, the most impressive performance by a British fighter may just have been the one put forth by Nathan Cleverly at the York Hall.
Photos © Justin McKie
Matt Chudley has the recap.
Check out Dave Oakes' round by round coverage of the Khan vs Kotelnik show.
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Saturday, July 18
Cleverly Stops McIntosh; Thaxton Upset by Glover
By Matt Chudley
Nathan Cleverly impressively added the British Light-heavyweight title to his Commonwealth belt in crushing the game but overmatched Danny McIntosh over seven rounds at the York Hall on Saturday. The older and physically stronger McIntosh was successful in goading and baiting the highly skilled Welshman into a scrappy brawl with his posturing but Cleverly's ever improving power and accuracy proved too much for the tough Norwich fighter.
Aware of McIntosh’s strength and athleticism and also his technical deficiencies, Cleverly targeted his opponent’s midsection from the start. After being warned for straying a little too low in the opening round, the strategy paid dividends in the 2nd, when a crisp left hook to the body immobilized McIntosh, who was then dropped by a follow-up right hand.
Still winded, McIntosh touched down again moments later after being caught with another right hand while backing away with his hands down and chin exposed. In act of bravado, he flipped back up onto his feet, but his continued attempts at machismo left Cleverly intent on proving his own mettle and unwilling to accept that McIntosh might be the grittier fighter.
McIntosh was down from another right in the 3rd but still appeared relatively clear headed and beckoned the younger fighter in again. Fighting his opponents fight and now exchanging verbal jibes in the clinch, Cleverly was now visibly tiring but still producing the better work.
Facing an insurmountable deficit on the cards, McIntosh began to fight with his hands down by his waist in an attempt to draw Cleverly in and catch him with a big punch. It was a gamble worth taking, but one that didn't pay off as Cleverly landed a right hand behind the ear that sent McIntosh down again in the 7th. On this occasion, McIntosh was slow and hesitant to rise, and referee Howard Foster took a long look at the man from East Anglia before letting the bout continue. Cleverly was quick to pounce with a flurry of unanswered punches, giving Foster little choice but to jump in and stop the fight.
Next on the agenda for Cleverly while he looks to get in line for a European title fight or World title eliminator is likely to be a rematch with crowd pleaser Tony Oakey or possibly a dual title defense against former Olympian Courtney Fry. Damien Francis is another possibility if he returns to the 175lb division.
On the under-card...
In a big upset, Jonathan Thaxton was narrowly out-pointed by bricklayer Tom Glover. Referee Ken Curtis, the sole arbiter for the 8 round contest, called it 77-76 for Glover with the difference being a point deduction against Thaxton in the 7th round for persistent holding.
Enjoying a 5 pound weight advantage, Glover used his size to full advantage as he managed to out-muscle the somewhat lackluster Thaxton in overcoming the former European lightweight champion's more polished skills. The underdog from Maldon gave early warning it would be a tough night for his more renowned opponent by landing a number of clean shots in the second round.
With the win, Glover improved his record to 9-5, and after previous upsets over the 22-1 Nadeem Siddique and the 14-2 Chas Symonds, has now earned himself an English welterweight title challenge against Adnan Amar in October. Having lost to a welterweight, it remains uncertain as to whether Thaxton will be given the opportunity to fight for the vacant British lightweight title against John Murray later this year.
Also in action, an out of shape Tyson Fury punished a woeful and fleshy Aleksandrs Selezens (3-6) for three rounds before Selezens corner threw in the towel to stop the one sided contest. With the win, Fury extends his perfect record to 7-0 with all victories coming early.
After letting himself go, Fury will now have to prepare for the toughest test of his career so far in September when he takes on John McDermott for the English Heavyweight title.
e-mail Matt Chudley
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
British Scene: Nathan Cleverly vs Danny McIntosh Preview
This Saturday at the York Hall, rising unbeaten prospects Danny McIntosh (pictured landing a right hand on the jaw of Steven Spartacus, photo © Justin McKie) and Nathan Cleverly clash for the vacant British light-heavyweight title. On the line as well will be Cleverly's Commonwealth title belt.
The under-card features former European lightweight champ Jonathan Thaxton taking on tough Essex fighter Tom Glover. Tyson Fury is also scheduled on the show, although an opponent for the young heavyweight has yet to be named.
Matt Chudley has the preview.
Make sure to check out Matt's recap of the show on Monday.
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Saturday, July 18
Nathan Cleverly vs Danny McIntosh (ITV4)
By Matt Chudley
Unbeaten light-heavyweights Nathan Cleverly (16-0) and Danny McIntosh (10-0) headline this Saturday night's show at the York Hall. Cleverly will be putting the Commonwealth title that he won from Tony Oakey last October on the line for the 4th time, while the vacant British crown will also be up for grabs.
While both fighters hold low hold knock-out ratios, both have come into their own recently and responded to a higher level of competition with more conclusive victories. McIntosh's last four fights have all ended early, including a picture perfect one punch KO of Rod Anderton on the undercard to Froch-Pascal.
Fighting out of South Wales and a former Enzo Calzaghe pupil, the 22 year old Cleverly has shown great improvement over his last five fights and has began to sit down on his punches more. A Mathematics graduate from Cardiff University, he has also shown a large amount of ring savy in capitalizing on his skill set and impressive height at nearly 6'4. Proving to be one of the brighter prospects in the UK, Cleverly is heavily favoured to claim the coveted Lonsdale belt.
Danny McIntosh - the house fighter after promoter Mick Hennessy won the purse bids - got a late start to the pro game at the age of 25. He's made up for lost time by moving through the pro-ranks quickly, establishing himself as a British title contender after only 8 fights by capturing the English title with a stoppage win over local rival Steven Spartacus in a heated contest last October.
Against Cleverly, he finds himself as the underdog for the first time out and will undoubtedly need to show more than he has to date in order to overcome the slick accurate work of his taller and arguably faster opponent.
On the under-card…
Jonathan Thaxton (pictured against Juan Carlos Diaz Melero, photo © Justin McKie) takes on Tom Glover in his return to action for the first time since losing his European title to Anthony Mezaache back in February.
Now 34 and having engaged in many memorable all out wars with the likes of Ricky Hatton and Eamonn Magee, Thaxton will be looking to stay sharp of a possible clash with John Murray for the vacant British Title this autumn.
Glover is on a 3 bout winning streak, having scored narrow points victories over Scott Wolford, Chas Symonds and claiming a DQ win over Nadeem Siddique in his last outing a little over a month ago. Given the styles of the two men, this could very well be the most entertaining of the night’s contests.
Heavyweight prospect Tyson Fury also gets another outing against a short notice opponent. With an English title showdown with John McDermott in the works, Fury will be looking to continue his impressive knock out streak and unleash some more headline grabbing sound bytes.
e-mail Matt Chudley
Monday, March 9, 2009
Photo Gallery: Jon Thaxton vs Anthony Mezaache
Last weekend in Norwich, European lightweight champion Jonathan Thaxton of England slugged it out with French challenger, Anthony Mezaache in one of the best bouts so far this year.
Photographer Justin McKie was ringside to capture all the bruising action.
Photos © Justin McKie
Click on the photos to enlarge.
At stake: Jonathan Thaxton's European Lightweight Title. Thaxton claimed the championship with a one punch 3rd round knockout of Juan Carlos Diaz Melero in October of 2008.
Preparing for battle - Thaxton looking calm and focused, as he has his hands wrapped before the contest.
Former world class kick-boxer, and current French champion, Anthony Mezaache prepares for his ring walk. The French fighter comes into the bout with a record of 14 wins, 5 defeats, 3 draws, and unbeaten in his past 7 outings.
The hometown hero, Jon "Jono" Thaxton, sporting a record of 34 wins against 8 defeats waits to enter the Norwich Showground to defend his title for the first time. Thaxton won the title at the Showground back in October of last year.
It looked like a short night might be in the offing when Thaxton put Mezaache down in the first round. A right hand behind the ear did the damage, leaving the challenger on unsteady legs when he arose.
After spitting out his mouth guard to buy some time, the challenger managed to survive the round, although found himself down 3 points on the scorecards.
Mezaache connects with his left jab as referee Massimo Barrovecchio looks on.
Mezaache lunges in with a right hand, as Thaxton tries to pull away from it.
The challenger connects with a right hand that snaps the champion's head back.
More from Mezaache as the resiliant challenger works his way back into the fight.
The action was sometimes awkward as is often the case when a soupthaw battles it out with a right handed fighter.
Mezaache unloads with a winging right hand bomb. The challenger, who came into the bout with only 3 knockouts on his record didn't pack much pop, but he let his hands go plenty as he sensed the hometown man tiring.
Thaxton successfully times the challengers awkward ducking movements, and lands a hard left uppercut.
Tired, but desperate to hang onto his crown, the champion digs hard with a right hand as he attempts to swing the momentum back in his favour.
The challenger is relentless, and doesn't stop coming. Here he elicits a grimace out of the champion, as he lands a right hand to the body.
There was no let up to the action, as the determined challenger kept pressing, while the champion, his eye badly swollen battled gamely on as the fight moved into the later stages.
Both fighters are sporting the wounds of battle as the grueling contest reaches its final moments.
Thaxton ducks under a left, as he attempts to go to the body with a hook. The exhausted fighters keep throwing until the final bell.
The scores were unanimous...
115-112
115-111
114-113
For the winner and new European Lightweight Champion, Anthony Mezaache.
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