Golovkin and Ryota Murata set for 160-lb unification on Dec.29th in Saitama, Japan ⋆ Boxing News 24
By Huck Allen: WBA ‘Tremendous World’ middleweight champion Ryota Murata and IBF champion Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin have agreed to a deal to satisfy on December twenty ninth on the Saitama Tremendous Area in Saitama, Japan.
This would be the first combat for each fighters in 2021, however it ought to be a wonderful combat for so long as it lasts. Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) could have the house benefit as a result of he’s from close by Tokyo, which is simply 15 miles away.
It’s a hop, skip, and a bounce for Murata, 35, to journey from dwelling to Saitama to satisfy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36KOs) in the principle occasion.
Golovkin sitting on maintain since his final combat in December 2020 in opposition to Kamil Szeremeta. GGG probably would have already fought by now however he’s been reportedly remodeling his $100 million contract with DAZN, says Mike Coppinger.
Murata captured a gold medal within the 2012 London Olympics earlier than turning professional in 2013. As soon as within the professional ranks, it didn’t take Murata lengthy to seize his first world title, beating Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam by a seventh spherical stoppage of their rematch in October 2017.
Murata misplaced his first combat with N’Dam by a controversial 12 spherical break up choice in Could 2017. Happily for Murata, he was in a position to squire a right away rematch and beat N’Dam to develop into the WBA middleweight champion.
In October 2018, Murata surprisingly misplaced his title in shedding to Rob Brant by a 12 spherical unanimous choice. Brant threw over 1,000 punches within the combat, making it troublesome for Murata to match his output.
Of their rematch 9 months later, Murata destroyed Brant in two rounds in July 2019 to win again his WBA 160-lb title. Since that combat, Murata has fought simply as soon as, defeating challenger Steven Butler by a fifth spherical knockout in December 2019.
Murata has been inactive for the final 22 months since his win over Butler, and it’s unknown how he’ll carry out in opposition to GGG. What Murata has going for him is Golovkin being 39, and coming off of a lower than spectacular seventh spherical stoppage win over Kamil Szeremeta final December.
Each fighters are energy punchers, making it troublesome to foretell a winner. Given the superior ages for Murata and Golovkin, it’s a toss-up on who wins the combat.
If the match have been made 4 years in the past when Golovkin was nonetheless preventing often and searching nice, you’d have to decide on him to beat Murata.
However the inactivity, age, and the damage & tear that Golovkin collected in his two fights with Canelo Alvarez make it laborious to choose him because the winner. Murata has heavy palms, and he’s appeared distinctive in his final two fights in opposition to Butler and Brant.
We don’t know the way critical Golovkin is about his profession at this level, as he appears to be on the lookout for simpler fights and ready on Canelo. He could possibly be ready a very long time.
Boxing followers have urged Golovkin to surrender on his hopes of Canelo giving him a 3rd combat, and as a substitute, get busy with the little time he has left in his profession.
