Monday 29 June 2015 15:55, UK
Martin Murray is determined to defend a super-middleweight world title at Langtree Park next year.
The 32-year-old breezed past George Beroshvili on Friday night with a second-round stoppage and although Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding made promising statements in Murray's new division on the same night, the St Helens fighter is already proven at the top level.
Murray has fought for world titles on three occasions as a middleweight - drawing with Felix Sturm in 2011, suffering a close points defeat to Sergio Martinez in 2013 and most recently taking divisional kingpin Gennady Golovkin to the 11th round in February.
Despite arriving in a weight class already packed domestically with the likes of James DeGale, George Groves, Paul Smith, Callum Smith and Fielding, Murray is looking to be in possession of a world super-middleweight belt by this stage next year.
By this time next year I'm hoping to be world champion and defending my title at St Helens at Langtree Park.
"To be honest, by this time next year I'm hoping to be world champion and defending my title at St Helens at Langtree Park. I'm definitely looking to have fought for a world title by this time next year.
"I don't mean it as any disrespect because when I first turned professional, winning the British title was my goal and then to move on from there. I loved it when I won it at middleweight but that was in 2011 and I then established myself as one of the best in the world.
"I know I'm a world-class fighter in the super-middleweight division so I wouldn't consider dropping back down to fight for a British title. I'm looking at bigger fights and obviously world title fights.
"I said it on Friday. I'm a fighter. I just like fighting and I want to be in big fights. I'd go in and fight anyone. Whenever they think I'm ready to have a fight, I think I'm more than ready. I want to be built up as a super-middleweight."
Murray is good friends with Fielding and entered the ring with the unbeaten Liverpudlian for his impressive victory over Brian Vera, although he also paid tribute to Smith's harder-fought victory over the relentless Christophe Rebrasse.
"I thought they both fought really well," he added. "Callum did everything right and looked good fighting a really tough lad in Rebrasse. Callum's range of shots was class. He did a good job, but I thought Rocky Fielding stole the show on Friday.
"It was a brilliant win for Rocky and a brilliant performance. Nobody was expecting that. I always said it about Rocky that whenever he's in a fight, he always comes through and delivers the goods.
"I'm not saying that because I'm very close to Rocky because I get on with Callum and his family too, but I just thought Rocky's was the performance of the night."
