BRIAN PETERS’ Dublin headliner on February 13 will be a classic battle of skill versus will as Cavan stylist Andrew Murray defends his Irish lightweight belt against hometown veteran Oisin Fagan. Should all go to plan, the main event will be the fourth Irish title clash on a card packed with domestic talent. For the unassuming Murray, who has also claimed an EU title at lightweight, the story is particularly uplifting. Medical complications in Andrew’s early years not only threatened his chances of boxing at championship level, but also his ability to walk.

“I had Perthes disease and my hip joint came apart from my leg so I was a bit limp and couldn’t move the leg,” explained the 27-year-old who went on to claim three Irish senior titles as an amateur, before turning pro under Mick Helliett in London. “I had it in plaster of Paris for a couple of years and was on crutches for about a year-and-a-half.

“I was one of the lucky ones because I’ve seen cases where the one leg is shortened by the hip not sitting in the right place. I think I got it at the right time and the procedures were put in place early, plus my boxing training has helped strengthen it over time. It can be very disheartening when you’re young because you want to be running around and doing things that the others are doing but we all have our own stories and I’m okay now.”

Andrew has found a new lease of life since hooking up with Brian Peters and training in Belfast under John Breen. A broken collarbone kept him out of the ring from July last year until a December slot on the Matthew Macklin-Rafa Sosa Pintos undercard in December against livewire Ecuadorian Alex Bone. Murray had little time to shed the rust as Bone put his fitness under immediate scrutiny.

“Bone threw plenty of big digs at me and it took me a while to get back to my best but I started moving my head a bit more and used my reach to keep him under control,” said Andrew. “If I hadn’t fought Bone then it would have been a long layoff so I needed to get active. I was a bit rusty starting off but under the circumstances I thought I did pretty well and my shoulder was a wee bit sore during the middle rounds. The shoulder’s not too bad now though.

“Oisin Fagan is all heart, he’s mentally strong and I know he’ll keep coming at me despite the age gap; he’s very fit. Alex Bone was a bit like Oisin, style-wise, so it’s perfect preparation.”

Fagan’s tactics will be no secret. As he readily admits, effective aggression is the order of the day.

“Technically Murray’s a much better boxer than me, in every sense of the word,” conceded the 36-year-old Fagan. “Saying that, I believe he’s never fought anyone with my heart or faced the pressure I can bring.

“Sometimes you have to be in that position to see how you cope with aggression and I’m hoping to bring it on and force him all the way. I’ve never sparred Andrew but we’ve been on many shows together so I’ve seen quite a bit of him and I look through the tapes and study them for weaknesses. He’s fundamentally sound and there’s nothing he does wrong.”

Since Fagan relocated to his native Ireland – following a productive career in the United States – coach Phil Sutcliffe has taken the man nicknamed “Gael Force” under his wing at the Crumlin gym in Dublin.

Oisin is enthused by the new regime: “Training’s going great, I’ve got good sparring partners in the Crumlin gym, guys like Dean Byrne who has been out in LA with Freddie Roach and he’s mimicking Murray’s style to make sure I get a good workout. I’m training every day and feel well prepared; the weight poses no issues.

“If Andrew beats me then he’ll probably be targeting a crack at the European title and if I beat him I could fight for his EU belt and get a top five European ranking.

“Alex Bone gave it a good go and Bone’s style is not unlike my own. He came forward and I’d try and get in with hooks like Alex did. My trainers Phil Sutcliffe and Joe Clifford have been working on a secret weapon; I think we may have spotted one or two slight weaknesses in his game that we can exploit.”

Fagan enjoys being based in his home city. “Being up in Belfast meant I was miles from home and it was tough driving up all the time,” lamented Oisin, “so it suits a lot better for me to train in Dublin and be closer to my family and a lot more comfortable.”

Murray, meanwhile, lauds the training camp he has enjoyed.

“I’ve been sparring Michael Kelly and Jamie Conlan for speed work and can’t wait to get in there and give the Irish public a great scrap,” he said.