Murray launches his Kazakhstan venture with world title fight

Scott, at his Premier Suite base, with the late Marvin Hagler

BOXING’S most unlikely, ambitious and – let’s be honest – “out there” global promotional partnership has been forged. It’s signed, sealed and delivered.

Cannock’s own Scott Murray will be the first British fight figure to stage shows in Central Asian country, Kazakhstan, a nation that has produced ring legends such as Gennady Golovkin and Wladimir Klitschko, though the latter is now seen as a Ukrainian hero.

Yesterday Murray, a new, ambitious face on the British scene, and a group of Kazakhstan businessmen officially launched Nomad Promotions.

It is a partnership that thrusts Scott, the man behind Cannock’s successful Excelsior Sport Club, into the big league. In his own words: “It’s massive.”

The first show, which takes place on April 5 in capital Astana, will be topped by a world title fight, televised by major American network ESPN, involve global promotional giants Top Rank and be sponsored by Kazakhstan’s national airline.

What’s more, West Midlands fighters will appear on the bill.

For a reporter who covered Scott’s first entrepreneurial venture – a fitness club in the former Staffordshire pit town – the link seems surreal. So is Murray’s message: “From Cannockstan to Kazakhstan!”

Frankly, I had to look at the calendar to double check it wasn’t April 1 when the news broke. It’s wonderful and weird in equal measure.

Nomad’s inaugural show, dubbed “Homecoming”, has already stirred excitement in Kazakhstan, a hotbed of fighting talent.

Janibek Alimkhanuly’s WBO and IBF middleweight title fight with Frenchman Anauel Ngamissengue will be the first time a Kazakhastan world champ has defended his title on home soil.

The undercard has yet to be announced, but Chelmsley Wood’s Scott Melvin, Shabir Haidary, from Gloucester, and former British champ Shakan Pitters are being considered.

All three are probably struggling to get their heads around the situation, too.

“It’s something we have been working on for almost a year,” Scott said. “It’s been a tough journey to get there, but an exciting one.”

It’s a journey that began with a chance meeting between Scott and a major Kazakhstan fight figure – a close associate of Golovkin - at London’s Dorchester Hotel.

Proof the deal was almost over the line was served at Scott’s last Excelsior show where several Kazakhstan powerbrokers were in attendance.

“It’s a great country, very westernised and the people have a great fighting spirit,” said Scott. “This is a country with a Genghis Khan history.

“No one has done this before, we are giving Kazakhstan boxers the chance to return to their grass roots, hence the name ‘Homecoming’. We are going to stage three shows a year for the next three years.”

There are a lot of world class boxers desperate to perform in their home country. A man from Cannock is making that happen.

After witnessing the mother of Wolverhampton light-heavyweight champ Tony Wilson’s attack his opponent with her shoe back in 1989, I thought nothing could surprise me in this business.

I was wrong. Scott Murray has shocked me.

And the odds of him becoming a major player on the global fight scene have shortened dramatically.