Tag Archives: Ryota Murata

Posted on 04/09/2022

By: Hans Themistode

As Gennadiy Golovkin celebrated his 40th birthday, fans of the Kazakhstan star believed that his time near the top of the middleweight food chain was coming to an end. However, while his reactionary times appeared to have slowed, Golovkin proved that despite his age, he still has plenty left in the tank.

The Japanese crowd at Saitama Arena rose to its feet and roared as Ryota Murata made his way to the ring. With the WBA middleweight belt holder anxious to pick up the biggest win of his career, he came out inspired in the opening frame. Murata pumped out a consistent and piercing jab in the first, one that Golovkin struggled to get away from.

Regardless of the middling success of Murata, Golovkin turned things around in round two. The current IBF middleweight belt holder moved to the center of the ring, planted his feet, and snapped the head back of of his man. In addition to peppering Murata with numerous blows upstairs, Golovkin took advantage of Murata’s lackluster defense by going to the body.

The action continued in round three. Neither man employed much of a jab during the frame. Instead, they met toe to toe near the middle of the ring and bumped heads while attempting to establish position. As both men threw pernicious blows, neither stepped back.

Although Golovkin had moments of success during the period, it was the bodywork of Murata that truly stood out. At one point in the fourth round, Golovkin appeared to wince in pain as Murata landed a clean right hand to the midsection. As Golovkin attempted to gather himself, he took several steps back. Unwilling to let the moment pass him by, Murata pushed forward and continued to land relentless shots to the body of Golovkin.

The struggles of Golovkin continued in round five as Murata avoided his powerful and looping right hands and was able to land several shots of his own upstairs.

As the midway point of their contest rolled by, Golovkin breathed in deeply in round seven. The newly turned 40-year-old abandoned his jab completed, placed his hands low in an effort to deflect the persistent body blows of Murata, and found success bullying his man around the ring.

A visibly winded Murata seemed shaken during the period. In what turned out to be the turning point of their contest, Golovkin slyly stepped back as Murata launched a left hook in his direction, only to land a devastating right of his own. Once the blow connected, Murata’s mouthpiece was sent flying halfway across the ring. Though the Japanese native was ultimately able to recover, Golovkin continued to batter him for most of the round.

In the ninth, Murata seemed incredibly fatigued. Golovkin, on the other hand, bounced up and down on his toes as he continued his assault. For much of the round, Golovkin butchered Murata against the ropes. Though he would eventually fight his way back to the center of the ring, it turned out that was exactly what Golovkin was hoping for.

In somewhat of a funky sequence, Murata attempted one final hurrah but was quickly sent crashing to the canvas thanks to well-timed right hook by Golovkin. Once Murata hit the deck, his corner had seen enough, throwing in the towel and handing Golovkin the ninth round stoppage victory.

With the win, Golovkin has become just the second boxer at the age of 40 or older, to unify titles.

Posted on 04/05/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Gennadiy Golovkin was in utter disbelief when the scorecards were initially announced following 12 hard-fought rounds against Canelo Alvarez in 2018.

With the soon-to-be 40-year-old suffering the first defeat of his career, he’s turned the page on the controversial outcome. While Golovkin has gone on to pick up victories in his next three contests, including an IBF world title bout against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Golovkin scoured the middleweight landscape in search of his next foe. However, even with Golovkin fighting all around the world against countless styles and opponents, he was initially taken aback when he received word on who he would be facing next.

On April 9th, at the Super Arena in Saitama Japan, Golovkin will attempt to leave his Japanese fans speechless when he takes on WBA champion, Ryota Murata. While it may not have been the name he was expecting, Golovkin is ecstatic nonetheless.

“I remember my first reaction,” said Golovkin. “I immediately thought that it’s going to be massive. That it’s going to be massive, spectacular, and truly memorable. Let’s say, it’s going to be big. Fights in Japan have their own history. And, come to think of it, now I’m going to be a part of that history.”

Amongst a long list of boxing events that took place on Japanese soil, James “Buster” Douglas scored a memorable knockout win over then, unbeaten and well feared heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, as a sizable underdog in 1990.

Murata, much like Douglas, will be forced to play the underdog role against Golovkin. While Murata did his box his way to a gold medal during the 2012 Olympic Games, he’s spent the last few years of his career sitting on the sidelines. The now 36-year-old may have picked up back-to-back wins against Steven Butler and Rob Brant, but he’s failed to make a ring appearance since 2019.

Ultimately, a win for Golovkin means more to him than just adding another world title to his already stacked resume. If the current middleweight titlist is victorious this coming weekend, he’ll cross his fingers and hope that Alvarez replicates his success on May 7th, against WBA middleweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

With a victory by both men, the pair have already agreed to meet for a third, and presumably, final time this September. However, despite craving one last crack at Alvarez, Golovkin knows good and well that if he isn’t focused on the man standing before him, his future plans will be washed away.

“I’m focused on this fight. I don’t allow myself to think about anything else. I’m not jumping over this fight. I’m not underestimating my opponent.”

Posted on 03/16/2022

By: Hans Themistode

For the most part, many are already envisioning a third showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin.

The two are tentatively scheduled to face one another in September, provided of course, both sides are successful in their upcoming bouts. In the case of Alvarez, the newly crowned undisputed super middleweight titlist will abandon his 168-pound throne as he attempts to truncate the world title reign of WBA light heavyweight champion, Dmitry Bivol.

As for Golovkin, the current IBF middleweight belt holder will take on fellow champion, Ryota Murata. Golovkin will brazenly travel to Murata’s native land at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on April 9th.

While Golovkin is tabbed as a healthy favorite, the future Hall of Famer is anxious to strip Murata of his championship status before moving on to a showdown against Alvarez. However, in the mind of Bob Arum, it wouldn’t be shocking if Murata threw a monkey wrench in Golovkin’s plans.

“I would not be surprised if, in April, Murata beats Golovkin,” said Arum during an interview with Fight Hub TV.

Even with Murata having the public backing of Arum, he’ll face several disadvantages on the night. The first obstacle in Murata’s way will be his lack of experience against high-level opponents. In addition to that, Murata has spent the better part of the past two and a half years sequestered on the sidelines. Presently, the WBA titlist was last seen in the ring on December 23rd, 2019, against Steven Butler, scoring a fifth-round knockout win.

Ultimately, however, despite the ring rust, Arum believes that the former Olympic gold medalist could be on the verge of nabbing the biggest win of his career. In large part, Arum views the soon-to-be 40-year-old Golovkin’s age as a considerable disadvantage. Also, the longtime promoter has been unimpressed with his recent performances.

Since suffering the lone blemish of his career at the hands of Alvarez in 2018, Golovkin has gone on to win three consecutive bouts. In his most recent walk to the ring, Golovkin bulldozed journeyman Kamil Szeremeta, dropping his man four separate times before picking up the stoppage victory in the seventh.

Regardless of Golovkin’s recent form, nonetheless, Arum is somewhat dubious that he’ll continue his current streak. While he refrained from picking Murata outright, Arum is steadfast in his belief that Murata could become the unmovable object standing in the way of Golovkin and his quest to challenge Alvarez once again.

“Remember, Golovkin has a lot of wear on him. He’s 40-years-old, and Murata is a pretty big punching guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Golovkin lost that fight to Murata.”

Posted on 03/01/2022

By: Hans Themistode

There was a bitter look of disappointment plastered across the face of Gennadiy Golovkin.

The IBF middleweight titlist and future Hall of Famer had long been hoping to share the ring with fellow middleweight belt holder, Ryota Murata. The two were originally scheduled to face off on December 29th, 2021, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Murata’s native land. However, due to the rising concern surrounding the overall infected rate of COVID-19, Japan implemented travel restrictions that prevented foreigners from visiting, which ultimately pushed their contest to the wayside.

Now, with the infection rate dropping globally, the pair have reportedly rescheduled their showdown.

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, both Murata and Golovkin have agreed to square off on April 9th. The pair will continue with their original plans to unify middleweight titles in Saitama Arena.

For Japan’s Murata, he’ll walk into the biggest night of his pugilistic life with what could be a considerable amount of rust. The WBA 160 pound titlist has spent well over two years sequestered on the sidelines. Although he hasn’t been active, Murata has won his last two contests via stoppage.

As for Golovkin, a win over Murata is one that he desperately craves for a myriad of reasons. Not only does Golovkin aspire to reclaim his status as a unified champion but more importantly, a victory over Murata places him one step closer to a third showdown against Canelo Alvarez.

Just a few days ago, Golovkin inked his name as part of a lucrative two-fight deal. First up for the heavy-hitting Kazakhstan star, is a date with Murata. Should he pick up the victory and rip away Murata’s world title in the process, Golovkin will wait patiently for Alvarez.

The pound-for-pound star is set to take on WBA light heavyweight champion, Dmitry Bivol. If Alvarez finds himself on the winning end of said bout, he’ll move back down in weight to defend his undisputed super-middleweight crown against Golovkin.

The two originally swapped fists in 2017 and 2018 with Golovkin being forced to settle for a split decision draw and majority decision loss. With three consecutive victories under his belt since suffering the first defeat of his career to Alvarez, Golovkin has maintained that he was given a raw deal, even going as far as to say that Alvarez, and those who believe he won their contests, are “delusional.”

Posted on 12/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Over the past few years, Gennadiy Golovkin has grown incredibly inactive. At his destructive peak, the Kazakhstan star made two or three yearly appearances. However, after scoring a concussive stoppage victory over Kamil Szeremeta in December of 2020, this year marked the first that Golovkin failed to enter the ring since turning pro in 2006.

While it wasn’t the year Golovkin’s fans had been hoping for, the current IBF middleweight champion was forced to deal with forces that were out of his control. Originally, the former unified titlist was set to take on current WBA belt holder Ryota Murata. The two were scheduled to square off on December 29th, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

But, due to the rising concern surrounding the omicron COVID-19 variant, Japan has implemented new travel restrictions that prevent foreigners from visiting. Although there was growing optimism that Golovkin would be granted a special exemption, he was ultimately denied.

Even with their contest officially pushed by the wayside, promoter Eddie Hearn is confident that both sides will come to the negotiating table fairly quickly.

“Gennady Golovkin, due to fight Murata in December,” said Hearn during an interview with IFL TV. “Looks like it’s going to be rescheduled for March or April.”

Murata, a former Olympic Gold medalist, has spent the past two years sequestered on the sidelines. Before his recent string of inactivity, Murata was arguably in the midst of the best form of his career. The hard-hitting Japanese native immediately recaptured his WBA middleweight title against Rob Brant in July of 2019, stopping his man in the second round. Five months later, Murata would score a fifth-round stoppage win over Steven Butler.

Posted on 10/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For the better part of two years, both WBC middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin and WBA titleholder Ryota Murata, have spent more time outside of the ring, than inside of it. However, after working diligently behind the scenes, it appears as though that will be coming to an end.

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, both Murata and Golovkin have agreed to terms on a deal that will see them square off on December 29th, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Since picking up the first defeat of his career to Canelo Alvarez in September of 2018, Golovkin has been painfully inactive. The former pound-for-pound star scored a one-sided knockout victory over Steve Rolls in June of 2019. Although Golovkin appeared to be back to his dominant ways, he struggled in his next ring appearance.

In early October, four months following his victory over Rolls, Golovkin found himself in the fight of his life against perennial contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Despite registering the first-round knockdown, Derevyanchenko rallied during the second half of their contest, although he would ultimately lose via close unanimous decision.

Since then, Golovkin has appeared in the ring just once, scoring a 7th round stoppage win against overmatched mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta in December of 2020.

While Golovkin has made just three ring appearances since June of 2019, by the time he steps into the ring against Murata, the Japanese native will have spent two full years on the sidelines.

Since winning Olympic gold in 2012, Murata dominated the competition and was fast-tracked to his first crack at a world title in 2017. Murata would go on to lose controversially to Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam via split decision. Five months later, however, Murata righted the ship against N’Jikam, scoring a seventh-round knockout win.

In December of 2019, Murata’s last trip to the ring, he scored a fifth-round stoppage victory against fringe contender Steven Butler.

Posted on 04/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

With the biggest fight of his life possibly taking place at year’s end, WBA middleweight champion, Ryota Murata, will reportedly begin working the rust off.

As first reported by Chris Mannix, Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) is currently engaged in conversation to take on IBF belt holder Gennadiy Golovkin. The bout would take place in Murata’s hometown of Japan on New Year’s Eve. With their showdown becoming more and more likely, Murata is currently sifting through names for a stay-busy fight in the meantime.

The former Olympic gold medalist was last seen in the ring a year and a half ago against fringe contender Steven Butler, starching him in the fifth round of their showdown. As a contest with Golovkin grows more and more likely, Murata refuses to head into the biggest match of his career with a considerable amount of ring rust.

While no names have officially come to the forefront, Mannix notes that the likely date would be sometime in June.

As for Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs), the future Hall of Famer has also suffered from inactivity as of late. Before his December 18th, pummeling of mandatory challenger, Kamil Szeremeta, Golovkin was absent from the ring for well over a year. At the age of 39, Golovkin is now at the tail end of his career but still receives his fair share of callouts from many of the top names in the division including WBC belt holder Jermall Charlo and WBO titlist, Demetrius Andrade.

Still, even with those previously mentioned names throwing their name into the mix, hoping that Golovkin chooses them as his next opponent, it appears as though the Kazakstan star will head in another direction.

In addition to a showdown with Murata, Golovkin has also had discussions with middleweight contender Jaime Munguia for a showdown that would take place sometime this year as well.

While everything surrounding Golovkin is still a bit unclear at the moment, it appears as though he has his eyes set on two of the more respectable names in the division.

Posted on 01/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. is ready to hit the ground running. After spending the entirety of his 2020 campaign on the sidelines, the British native is ready to get active and participate in the biggest fights possible. To help in his search for the most prominent fights out there, Eubank Jr. has changed promotional outfits, going from Premier Boxing Champions to Sauerland Promotions.

Now that the business of boxing has taken care of itself, the 31-year-old is eyeing a showdown with IBF middleweight belt holder Gennadiy Golovkin. While he admits that everyone holding a golden trinket at 160-pounds can get it, he’s made it abundantly clear that Golovkin is the name he wants above all others.

“Absolutely,” said Eubank Jr. when questioned if he wants Golovkin in 2021 by IFL TV. “It’s no secret, I’ve wanted that fight for years. It’s a win, win. Everybody wins, the fans win and the fighters win. Hopefully, we can get that fight in 2021 but all the guys with belts in the middleweight division are on the Hitlist. They’re all on the radar.”

For Eubank Jr., stepping into the ring immediately with someone the level of Golovkin wouldn’t be the best idea. Aside from the former title challenger failing to step into the ring at all this past year, in 2019, the British product’s most recent contest lasted a mere two rounds. In early December of that year, Eubank Jr. faced off against Matt Korobov. The early goings of their contest saw Eubank Jr. outboxed in the first round. However, Korobov failed to keep the momentum going as he suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to withdraw.

The win for Eubank Jr. allowed him to wrap the WBA interim middleweight world title around his waist. Still, he doesn’t believe he’s quite ready to face the likes of Golovkin yet. At least, not without getting himself reacclimated.

In terms of who would be best suited to help him wipe some of the dust off, names such as Liam Williams and Kell Brook have been thrown around. Whomever is chosen from the two makes no difference to Eubank Jr. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll bust up anyone of them.

“I need a warm-up fight so if they want to throw one of those guys in there with me within the next month or so to get me warmed up for my title fight, then I wouldn’t say no. I’ve been out of the ring for 13 months and my last fight was two rounds. So if they want to throw me one of those guys to smack them up a little bit I’m happy to do that.”

In addition to a showdown with Golovkin as well as either Brook or Williams, Eubank Jr. is under the impression that he is in the perfect position to face Ryota Murata. Thanks to Canelo Alvarez officially vacating his WBA “Super” world title, then “Regular” titlist Ryota Murata was elevated to the position Alvarez recently forfeited. With Eubank Jr. holding the interim crown, outside of a matchup with Golovkin, he views a contest with Murata as one that makes the most sense.

“Murata has been elevated now to Super champion in the WBA. I’m the WBA interim world champion so that’s a fight that makes sense. That’s a fight that I want this year for sure and would definitely win.”