And Pisces man Richard Boyle is the new Western Counties featherweight champ after his opponent Louis Stinchcombe pulled out at the last minute through injury.
Jersey Leonis man Murray (21) was quicker into his stride and started to find gaps in his taller opponent’s guard from the first bell.
He caught Stewart with a succession of crisp right hands and Stewart, despite his height and reach advantage, began to look frustrated as all his best artillery was deflected off the arms and gloves of his more focused opponent.
Murray extended his repertoire of punches as the bout progressed – scything through with solid jabs then catching his Broad Plain ABC rival with neat hooks and uppercuts delivered with both hands.
Stewart failed to use his height and reach advantage and the look on his face at the end of the bout showed that defeat was already conceded.
Murray said: ‘I had a bit of a bug last week, but thankfully my fitness never suffered and I knew I had to jump on him from the start.
‘When he wasn’t getting through with his shots I could see the frustration in his face, so I stuck to my boxing and knew I couldn’t to do anything rash to let him back into it.’ Murray will be joined by fellow Leonis prospects, bantamweight Les Bulpin and super heavyweight Dave Lund, who also had walkovers in Liverpool, for the next round of the ABA finals, the Western Counties match against the North West in Liverpool on 12 November.
But Boyle was the only one of the three Jersey walkover winners who travelled and he was disappointed not to get into the ring.
Said his coach Brian Rousseau: ‘We were in our hotel room and got a call to say that Stinchcombe had got an injury at work.
‘It was bitterly disappointing – Richard really needed a bout and it meant we’d spent £400 for nothing.’
