Channel 5 will continue its commitment to boxing into 2015 after agreeing a deal to broadcast Martin Murray’s world middleweight title attempt against the defending champion Gennady Golovkin in February.
The free-to-air broadcaster is to screen the fight, which is being staged at Salle de Etoiles in the glamourous city of Monte Carlo, exclusively live to UK audiences on Saturday, February 21, 2015, according to the show’s promoter Rodney Berman.
Murray and Golovkin, both 32, are set to battle it out for the WBA and IBO middleweight titles, which the unbeaten Kazakh fighter, who has won 28 of his 31 professional fights by knockout during his eight-year career to date, has retained successfully since 2010.
The St Helens fighter earned his shot at Golovkin after his fight against Domenico Spada in October, also staged in Monte Carlo and screened by Channel 5, was stopped in the seventh round due to the Italian sustaining a severe cut.
Murray will return to the principality in the new year to face the fearsome hard-hitting Golovkin, who himself was at ringside for the Spada fight to check out his next potential opponent.
The February showdown will be Murray’s third world title shot and reward for three victories in 2014 under his South African-based promoter Golden Gloves, who have played a key role in re-vitalising his career after a period of stagnation.
Commenting on the appetite for the fight from international broadcasters, Murray’s promoter Rodney Berman, who also performs the same role for Golovkin, said: “There has been much competition in various countries for the rights because it is seen as a proper fight.
“HBO in the US, Channel 5 in the UK, Chinese television and SuperSport across Africa will all be taking the fight, plus many more regions.
Murray has a 29-1 record from his seven-year professional career so far, which has included a draw against former WBA champion Felix Sturm in Germany back in 2011, while Murray was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against Argentine superstar Sergio Martinez, in a fight which many pundits had given to the Briton.
When asked to call what aspects of the fight will be critical in determining who triumphs, Berman added: “The jury is still out to some extent on Golovkin’s super status. He hasn’t fought the superstars as yet.
“From what I’ve seen, all of his opponents, perhaps with the exception of Curtis Stevens, were defeated before they stepped foot in the ring.
“Murray, though, comes from a tough background. I will venture to say that he will be the first challenger who won’t be overwhelmed. He has true boxing skills and will also be the biggest middleweight Golovkin will have fought.
“Remember, Murray is probably a two-time uncrowned champion who gave a peak Sergio Martinez a very good fight.”
The fight in February will be the second world title fight to air on Channel 5 since the broadcaster entered the sport of boxing in July 2011, when it screened Tyson Fury’s British title fight against Dereck Chisora, which drew an impressive three million viewers.
Fury’s subsequent fights also attracted big numbers to Channel 5 in primetime on Saturday evenings of well over the one million mark from 2011 to 2013, culminating with his victory in an exciting world title eliminator against Steve Cunningham in New York.
Since Fury’s departure to fight exclusively on the dedicated boxing channel BoxNation, Channel 5’s coverage of Hennessy Sports-promoted shows has largely focussed on the rising career of Kid Galahad, as well as action from the inaugural MaxiNutrition Knockout involving light-heavyweight fighters.
The broadcaster secured a deal to screen its first world title fight in October when it covered Stuart Hall’s bantamweight title defeat to in Monte Carlo, with Martin Murray’s fight against Domenico Spada also on the same bill.
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