Not Fitting the Bill Makes Colm Murphy Perfect Top of the Bill Muses Dunlop
‘Eccentic’ Colm Murphy could be the man to bring boxing back to the mainstream predicts Mark Dunlop.
The MHD promoter stages the first show to be aired live on the BBC since the failed Audley Harrison experiment when he promotes ‘Nations Fight Night’ at the Ulster Hall on Saturday night.
Dunlop hasn’t got a household name ala Olympic super heavyweight gold medal winner Harrison as a headline act but believes, in Murphy, he has someone who will capture the attention.
The veteran promoter, who guided James Tennyson and Tommy McCarthy to a famous European title wins, says ‘Posh Boy’s’ entertains with his all-action fighting style and endeers himself to the wider public with a personality not often associated with boxers.
“Believe me, there’ll be fireworks,” Dunlop told the BBC.
“Colm Murphy is an eccentric, he just doesn’t fit the bill of a boxer. When other fighters are on their phones, he’s reading books. He’s got a Masters degree in quantity surveying.
“Everyone’s looking for that something different. Now, you can have all that and not be able to fight, but this kid can fight.”
Commonwealth silver featherweight champion Murphy, his blood and guts fighting style as well as the interesting way he holds himself are well known to the boxing fraternity.
However, the Belfast boxer has the platform to win a host of new fans and become a name in the boxing mad city when he puts his title on the line against Kasimu Hamad Haji on top of a bill that hosts an interesting fight for British title hopeful John Cooney.
“You think of Colm Murphy, for a 25-year-old to be topping the bill at the Ulster Hall live on the BBC, that’s phenomenal,” he said.
“These shows only happen now and again. Guys can miss out on them through an entire career. It really is a fantastic night for local boxing to be back there, and all live on free-to-air TV too.
“The platform for these guys is phenomenal, so you’ll see guys giving their all because this is their big opportunity.
“Each one of those guys, they’re going to feel like they’re fighting for a world title.”
On a personal note, Dunlop says he is delighted to be able to return the sport back to “the normal, everyday fan”.
“I used to run about Belfast sticking up posters in every pub, every coffee shop, every bookmakers. Now everything is on the phone.
“Boxing is driven by the internet now, unfortunately, but there’s still fans that don’t have access to all the various apps that you need to watch fight nights on.
“The days are gone where it’s in the hard copy of the paper, but it’s still getting people reading about the show, talking about the show, and here those without a ticket can still see it…for free.”
