Manager Mickey Helliet reckons pint-sized powerhouse Ben Murphy deserves a crack at the British lightweight championship and sooner rather than later!
The British Boxing Board of Control look set to strip Gavin Rees at their monthly meeting on Wednesday after the Welshman decided to meet John Murray rather than defend the Lonsdale belt against mandatory challenger Martin Gethin.
Helliet has written to boxing bosses asking that the Southern Area champion from Hove is paired with Gethin for the title.
Helliet expalined: “Ben has been nominated to meet first Willie Limond and then Chris Goodwin in British-title eliminators – and through no fault of his own, neither fight has happened.
“Limond and Goodwin were both pulled out of the fights.
“Because of that, I have written to the Board asking for Ben to be made the mandatory challenger for the British title.
“He currently holds the Southern Area title and has boxed for British honours before.
“He came in at just four days’ notice last year to challenge Ashley Theophane for the British light-welterweight title and was ahead on points after 10 rounds before being beaten.
“Ben won the Southern Area title against previously unbeaten Lee Cook and has since stopped Phil Gill in a round, who was also previously unbeaten, and in the last year, he also handed Tony Owen his first and only defeat and Owen has had two good wins since then.
“Those performances prove Ben deserves a crack at the British lightweight championship and I very much hope that the BBBofC give him his chance.”
