Michael Carruth has been deprived of adding an Irish professional welterweight title to his list of achievements with the withdrawal of his challenger, Gerard Murphy, from Saturday night's bill at the National Stadium. Murphy has dropped out because of an injury suffered in training and this will lift the super middleweight Irish title bout between Jim Rock and Michael Alexander to the top of the seven-fight bill. In addition to that, it has emerged that Kenny Murphy, the Chicago cruiser-weight, brought in as a sparring partner for Cathal O'Grady, has gone back to the United States having suffered considerably at the flying fists of the young Kildare man.
Murphy was recommended to O'Grady's handlers by none other than Don King, but it took only three days to convince Murphy, from Chicago, that he was out of his depth in O'Grady's company. What this says about Murphy's challenge for the WBC cruiser-weight title against the holder, Fabrice Tiozzo from France, on May 22nd in Las Vegas it is difficult to say.
Should Murphy win, however, unlikely though that would seem, O'Grady would immediately offer a challenge for the title. It would take a lot of money to entice Murphy into the ring against O'Grady following his experiences within the last week. In the meantime, Carruth has expressed disappointment with the downgrading of his welterweight bout following his opponent's withdrawal. He is happy enough now, however, to take on Chris Saunders from Barnsley as he sets out on a road which could lead to a European title bid and add to the WAA world title which he already holds. He has some experience of Saunders, having stopped him in the 10th round of their bout in Mansfield in 1966.
Were Carruth to achieve his immediate aim of lifting a European title, his name would then have some extra clout in a challenge for a world title in the WBA or WBC ranks as it would have a higher status than his WAA crown. Some problems also arose in regard to Jim Rock's Irish title bout against Michael Alexander. The Doncaster man, who has Irish parentage, had difficulty making the middl-weight limit but the promoter, Brian Peters from Dunshaughlin, and Rock himself have managed to move the bout up to super middleweight over 10 rounds.
Peters now says that he hopes to have Carruth and Rock ready for European title challenges before the end of the year as he plans at least three other professional bills in Dublin within the next six or seven months.
The weigh-in for Saturday night's programme will take place at Shelbourne Park greyhound racing track on Friday at 1.00 p.m.
