Murphy defeats Pearson to move towards Euro title tilt
Murphy takes control from the opening bell
Murphy took control of the centre of the ring from the off as he sought to press home his physical advantage, backing Pearson up and landing a looping right hand, which set the tone for the contest.Pearson showed more ambition in the second and found a home for the right as he got into range, but Murphy was able to walk down the moving target and finished the second round in the ascendency as he closed the gap and let his hands go.The Belfast man continued to dominate in the third as he handed heavy right hands to head and body, with Pearson's moments fleeting.Pearson was struggling to build any momentum as he found himself out of range and when he did take a step inside, Murphy was stopping him in his tracks. He did enjoy success early in the fifth with a short left hook, but it didn't deter the Belfast man who continued to box with patience and pick him moments to land with venom.The pattern continued into the second half of the fight with Murphy in control, yet Pearson was still in there trying to turn it his way but didn't appear to have the power make Murphy think twice.Murphy refused to get reckless but was stepping on the gas a little more in the ninth as he chipped away at Pearson, landing to the body and finishing the round with an uppercut.Going into the championship rounds, Murphy was the fresher of the two and he sought the big finish, landing a huge right hand in the 12th to underline a fine performance as he moved into pole position to fight for the full European title.
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