The lights went out on John Murray's amateur schoolboy final, but the Manchester ace has promised to put Kevin Mitchell's lights out in their Battle of Britain blockbuster showdown next month.
 
Murray's fight against James Richardson was stopped in the second round of their Schools ABA final in 2001 when rioting broke out at the Broadway Theatre, Barking, with the then Sports Minister Kate Hoey in attendance.
 
Earlier on in the evening, amateur star Mitchell received rave reviews over his superb performance, stopping Colan Foreman in the final, and a fight with Murray was being talked about.
 
"Although my fight was a joke and got abandoned half-way through the second round, I made sure I watched Mitchell that night because he was the big thing in the amateurs back then. He was the big star and everybody raved about him going to the Athens Olympics." said Murray.
 
"We were only a weight division apart so I felt that I would either meet him in the amateurs or later down the line in the pros."
 
"In the end we didn't meet as we both turned pro in 2003 and went our separate ways." 

"He was at super-featherweight and winning titles and I was winning titles at lightweight so it was inevitable we were going to meet sometime."
 
Murray and Mitchell now clash for real on Saturday 9th July at the Excel London, in one of the biggest domestic showdowns in recent years, live on Sky Sports 1HD.
 
He added, "I can't wait to finally get Mitchell on July 9. It's been a long time in the making and a victory will really propel me into the public consciousness.
 
"The lights may have gone out on my fight in the school boy finals, but I promise that Mitchell's lights will be put out at the Excel.
 
"This will be the best John Murray you are going to see, no excuses, I'm going to do a real job on Mitchell.
 
"The winner is promised a world title fight next and it's been my dream to fight for that so I'm letting Mitchell get in my way."
 
Tickets for North 'n South are available now, priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £150 and £200, from 0844 844 0444 or ticketmaster.co.uk