Murray-Meager: classic

It still remains my biggest regret that I had to give up my Lonsdale belt to fight for the world title. I never lost a British title fight and it would have been lovely, still, to have had it on my wall, to call my own all these years later.

Glenn McCrory
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DANNY WILLIAMS v
JOHN McDERMOTT
British heavyweight title
Live on Friday Fight Night
10pm, Friday, Sky Sports 1

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What a great fight we were treated to on Friday night. We've had such a great run of British title fights over the past few months it has been sensational.

It just goes to show that for all the glitz and glamour of those world title fights, the Best of British is still the lifeblood of the sport.

John Murray and Lee Meager were the latest two to show just what it means to fighters to get that Lonsdale belt. Murray was the youngster on his way up, Meager the old guard who just didn't want to give up on it.

We've seen so many of those fights on Sky Sports in the last few months and they have made fascinating, fast and furious viewing. The young kids coming through, like Murray, need to take on the experienced Lee Meagers of this world before they move on to the next level.

So many fighters, mentioning no other names in the lightweight division, are talking about world titles before they have even proved they are the best in Britain.

It still remains my biggest regret that I had to give up my Lonsdale belt to fight for the world title. I never lost a British title fight and it would have been lovely, still, to have had it on my wall, to call my own all these years later.

It's refreshing to see people like Murray want to do it the right way. The British, Commonwealth and then possibly the European is they way I like to see it done. There is no substitute for experience and there is no better way to learn the game.

Lessons

Murray looks like he has learned as well. He burst on to the scene like a breath of fresh air a few years ago and looked really good. He then levelled off a bit, but you have to expect that.

Boxers don't just improve and improve all the time, they have to learn lessons along the way and in doing so, are not going to always look good.

It's why they have base camps on Mount Everest. You can't pelt it up there in one go and Murray is the perfect example. He's got to British title level at 23 and from what we saw against Meager is now ready for the next stage of the ascent.

This week big John McDermott is facing a tough assault of his own when he takes on Danny Williams for the British heavyweight title. I don't know about mountains, but for John, this looks like scaling the North Face of the Eiger.

Danny of course has been up and down the hill more times than the Grand Old Duke of York - and fallen down a few precipices along the way. I suppose McDermott is coming off a decent win against Pele Reid that will give him a bit of confidence, but it is hard to see him toppling Williams.

And who knows? If he does win, Danny might still be able to make some noise at the top of the heavyweight division. Mind you, if Tony Thompson can get a shot at the world title, then I might as well get the gloves out!

Beatable

Tony the Tiger? I'd love to meet the guy who came up with that. My advice for old Tony the Tiger would be to get back onto that cereal packet where you clearly belong!

Saturday night's world heavyweight clash in Hamburg was a joke. For a start Wladimir Klitschko is so beatable, makes so many mistakes it's untrue. He's an accident waiting to happen yet still Thompson didn't want to know. I was begging him to do something because for once, he had the size.

But no. As soon as he fell for the first time he didn't want to know and after that 11th-round knockout, I swear he was trying to crawl out under the bottom rope!

His camp were livid with him for not giving it a go and I could understand why. He had the height, he had the jab, but he just didn't have the motivation. If I'd have been in that corner I'd have give him a good whack myself!

It says it all about the heavyweights when James Toney, 39, taking on Hasim Rahman, 35, is likely to provide us with a better fight. Toney should never be a heavyweight, but is still a good, good fighter. I've met him loads of times down the years and can confirm he is a lunatic - my kind of guy. I like James Toney.

He's a one-off, and when you think he's beaten Iran Barkley, Michael Nunn, Doug de Witt, Mike McCallum (twice) and Evander Holyfield, you realise what a talent he was. The trouble with James was a lack of discipline.

He used to smoke big fat cigars and eat small cars, and was just a monster of a man in every respect. But that said, he and Rahman - who holds a knockout win over Lennox Lewis don't forget - will probably provide more entertainment, one way or the other, than our supposed unified champion and his number one challenger.

And that pretty much says it all.

What did you make of Murray-Meager? How far can Murray go? And what about the heavyweights? Can Danny Williams really make it back to the top of the game? Let us know your thoughts...