AQIB Fiaz reignited his career with a hard-fought points victory over Alex Murphy, exiting their Lancashire derby as tonight’s local hero.
The result was unanimous, in fact, with scorecards of 97-93, 96-94 and 96-95 all swinging in favour of the Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis-trained operator.
Murphy, 13-2, took the fight on two weeks’ notice, replacing an injured Michael Gomez Jr, but the lack of a full training camp hardly showed under the bright lights.
Fiaz, 14-1 (2 KOs), meanwhile, entered their lightweight clash with just one victory – a three-round blowout – since his punishing stoppage defeat to Reece Bellotti in 2023.
But regardless, both men engaged in a fiery battle at the Manchester Arena, setting the tone for Jack Catterall vs Harlem Eubank later this evening.
Murphy showcased a tidy pair of feet early doors, sticking behind a prolific jab before unleashing a fierce combination in the final few moments of the opening round.
The Salford man then continued to pump his legs, all the while creating openings for his long-range attacks, as Fiaz remained low with his output.
A greater sense of urgency then saw Fiaz land several eye-catching hooks in the third round, yet the long levers of his opponent made each entry into the pocket that much harder.
The 25-year-old only elevated his intensity in the following frame, though, and as he continued to march forward, Murphy was suddenly forced to dip into his tool bag.
A series of explosive hooks on the inside, more specifically, saw Fiaz begin to establish a rhythm before another encouraging visit swung the momentum in his favour.
By the seventh round, Murphy appeared to be battling an unwanted surge of fatigue, just as his more aggressive opponent put together a sequence of blistering flurries.
Indeed, Fiaz only extended his success in the following few frames, landing the more potent attacks in a bid to poke his nose in front.
But Murphy, to his credit, maintained a high tempo right up until the final bell, making for a closely-contested encounter through ten rounds.
In the end, however, it was the pressure of Fiaz that ultimately saw him emerge victorious, claiming a much-needed decision on the judges’ scorecards.
