Charles Murray’s silky-smooth boxing skills helped him claim the IBF junior welterweight title in the 1990s.
Murray was born in Rochester, upstate New York, on August 18, 1968. He was raised by his grandmother and comes from a working-class background.
“Rochester was a good place to grow up,” Murray told The Ring. “I played football with the teenagers when I was eight, nine, 10 years old. [I played] basketball in fifth grade – we were city champions.
“I attended the arts school in seventh and eighth grade, then transferred to Jefferson High School. I was captain of the junior varsity team, then I moved up to the varsity team. My teammates loved and respected me.”
At age 12, Murray had his first amateur fight after visiting a local gym. However, it wasn’t until he was 15 years old that he took the sport seriously.
“I dropped out of school to focus on boxing at 17 years old,” the former champion said. “Grandma said she had to work, so the coach got me a job at the rec center. That’s when I trained mentally and physically. From then on I was a man.”
“The Natural” was a standout fan. He won the US Nationals, stopping Skipper Kelp in the first round in 1987.
“I was an elite fan,” said Murray, who finished 69-9 in the unpaid ranks. “We were on a show called ‘Operation Gold.’ You had to be in the top two in the nation in your weight class and I was number 1. We get a monthly income of $500 to keep us sharp.”
Murray won the Eastern Trials before the 1988 Olympics. However, he lost to eventual representative Todd Foster in the box offs and decided his future lay as a professional. Consequently, Murray moved from Rochester to Las Vegas and trained with Kenny Adams. He was managed by Marc Roberts, who put together a team of three fighters—Ray Mercer, Al Cole and Murray—dubbed the “Triple Threat.”
In his first year as a pro, Murray won 10 fights in a row. However, Roberts wanted the fighters to live near him, and Murray moved to eastern New Jersey.
“I think the fight I received had a lot to do [with my improvement,]he explained. “We trained Terrence Alli, Livingstone Bramble and Saoul Mamby. That helped my growth as a professional.”
Murray outpointed the super-tough Micky Ward (UD 12) to claim the USBA 140-pound title in October 1990. However, two fights later, he was defeated by former world title challenger and training partner Alli (M.D. 12).
“The fight was on ABC Wide World of Sports and they had me doing a bunch of appearances, filming, etc,” Murray recalled. “I felt sluggish when I woke up [on the morning of the fight.]. I tried to shake the feelings [during the fight] But it does not work. Of all nights, that night was a bad day. I missed an opportunity.”
Murray rebuilt his career and was hoping for a shot at IBF junior welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker. However, when Whitaker vacated to move up to welterweight, Murray was lined up to face seasoned pro Rodney Moore for the vacant title in May 1993.
“Moore was a BS talker and he didn’t want to shake my hand, he wanted it bad,” said Murray, who capitalized on his aggressiveness to claim the title via 12-round unanimous decision. “I wasn’t running to meet him. Intelligence over emotions, I learned the hard way [from the Alli loss].
“Winning the title was gratifying because my amateur trainer Robert Johnson said I could. He was like my dad. My friends brought my favorite person, Muhammad Ali, and my artist, Willie Hutch, to celebrate with me.”
Murray made two successful defenses. He pushed back former featherweight champion Juan Laporte (UD 12) and former world title challenger Courtney Hooper (RTD 5) before coming unstuck against then-unknown Jake Rodriguez.
“I lost to Jake on Friday the 13th, there’s no way he should beat me,” lamented Murray, who dropped a 12-round majority decision. “Mentally he wasn’t there, personal issues with fiancee etc. I trained well…just one of those things: it happens. Bad moment.
Murray looked to make another title run, but Ray Oliveira (UD 10) edged him out. That setback sapped his ambition, and though he outplayed Reggie Green (TKO 2) and a trio of former champions in Tony Lopez (UD 12), Rodriguez (TKO 7) and Bramble (UD 10), Murray suffered a second loss to Oliveira ( UD 12) in April 1997.
He continued to fight although his form was patchy and retired in 2004 with a record of 44-9 (26 KO’s).
Murray, 54, lives in Rochester with his wife and has seven children. He runs a youth boxing program at the rec center and has his own gym called “Natural Life and Wellness” where he imparts his wisdom to the next generation.
He took the time to talk to The Ring about the best he’s faced in 10 key categories.
BEST JABTerrence Alli: Alli had a quick, short jab. She used her jab quite often.
BETTER DEFENSES Micky Ward: Micky Ward’s defense was tough mainly because he kept his guard up and steady.
BEST HAND SPEED: Alli: I always liked Alli’s hand speed. Hitting in groups with short arms and speed is a great combination to have.
BEST FOOT GAME Allli: Side to side and feint well.
SMARTESTRay Oliveira: I would say it was a booby trap. A fighter who plans while he works.
STRONG Liveira: He was a good volume puncher. He had an awkward boxing style that I never quite adjusted to.
BEST CHINWard: He took them, never moved and came forward, very hard. Juan Laporte was a great fighter. He had a strong chin but he was very defensive when we fought.
BEST PUNCHER Ward: Ward hit me in the body with a hard punch that really hurt.
BETTER BOXING SKILLS Rodney Moore: He made me fight on the inside. It made me want to get over it. [I boxed] inside and out, tiptoe, side to side.
BEST OVERALLMoore: Rodney Moore was the best fighter I ever faced. He boxed well, excellent jab, decent body attack and took a decent shot.
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter @AnsonWainwright
