James Murray (boxer)
James Murray (7 December 1969 – 15 October 1995) was a Scottish professional bantamweight boxer. He died as a result of injuries sustained in his last fight.
| James Murray | |
|---|---|
 Murray's bronze statue in Newmains | |
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Jim Murray |
| Weight(s) | bantamweight |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Born | 7 December 1969 Lanark, Scotland |
| Died | 15 October 1995 (aged 25) |
| Stance | southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 17 |
| Wins | 15 |
| Wins by KO | 5 |
| Losses | 2 |
Career
Murray was born in Lanark, Scotland. He won the BBBofC Scottish Area bantamweight title in November 1994, and defended it once.
On 13 October 1995, Murray was unknowingly a victim of a bleed in his brain; during the fight he fell to the floor of the ring and had a seizure. This match was against Drew Docherty for the BBBofC British bantamweight title fight at the Hospitality Inn in Glasgow. He died of brain injuries two days later, aged 25.[1][2] Murray compiled a 15-win (5 by knockout), 2-loss, no draws record.
Prior to that, Bradley Stone died of a brain hemorrhage after he lost his fight for the BBBofC British super bantamweight title at the York Hall in London in April 1994. Frank Warren who promoted Murray's last fight established the Murray Stone Fund named after those two boxers to finance the MRI scan for every British fighter.[2][3]
A bronze statue of Murray was erected in Newmains, North Lanarkshire, Scotland in the following year.[4]
References
- John McKie (15 October 1995). "Fresh call for ban on boxing as fighter collapses". The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- "Fund to finance brain scans for boxers". Toronto Star. 24 October 1995. p. B.8. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- "Warren sets up brain-scan fund". The Independent. 24 October 1995. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- "The final stages for statue in boxer's memory". Herald Scotland. 20 July 1996. Retrieved 22 April 2011.