By: Hans Themistode
For the most part, many envisioned a third showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin.
The two are expected to face each other in September, provided that both sides succeed in the upcoming bouts. In Alvarez’s case, the newly crowned undisputed super-middleweight champion will give up his 168-pound throne as he attempts to sever the WBA light heavyweight champion’s world title. , Dmitry Bivol.
As for Golovkin, who holds the IBF middleweight belt, will face fellow champion, Ryota Murata. Golovkin will travel to Murata’s hometown at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on April 9.
While Golovkin is on the healthy favorites list, the future Hall of Famer is anxious to strip Murata of his championship status before moving on to the match against Alvarez. However, in Bob Arum’s mind, it wouldn’t be a shock if Murata threw a monkey wrench in Golovkin’s scheme.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if, in April, Murata beats Golovkin,” Arum said in an interview with Fight Hub TV.
Even if Murata gets Arum’s public backing, he will face some setbacks tonight. The first obstacle on Murata’s path will be his experience against high-level opponents. Plus, Murata has had a better time over the past two and a half years sitting on the sidelines. Currently, the WBA player was last seen in the ring on December 23, 2019, against Steven Butler, scoring a knockout victory in the fifth round.
In the end, however, despite the rusted ring, Arum believes the former Olympic gold medalist may be on track to land the biggest win of his career. For the most part, Arum viewed the approaching 40-year-old Golovkin as a significant disadvantage. Also, the longtime promoter is not impressed with his recent performances.
Since catching the only downside of his career at the hands of Alvarez in 2018, Golovkin has won three games in a row. In his most recent step into the ring, Golovkin leveled Kamil Szeremeta, knocking out his man four separate times before claiming an injury-time victory in the seventh round.
Regardless of Golovkin’s recent form, Arum is somewhat doubtful that he will continue his current form. While he tries not to cast Murata outright, Arum remains steadfast in his belief that Murata can become the immutable object that stands in the way of Golovkin and his quest to challenge Alvarez again.
“Remember, Golovkin wore a lot of things. He’s 40 years old, and Murata is a pretty good fighter. I wouldn’t be surprised if Golovkin lost that bout to Murata.”
