GGG STOPS MURATA IN JAPAN TO SET UP A POSSIBLE TRILOGY WITH CANELO
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Tokyo, Japan (April 9th, 2022)– GGG is 40 years old, and like fine wine. Gennadiy Golovkin just gets better with time, in a class all by himself. GGG is in a super class beyond Carlos Monzon, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Having gotten robbed, in the least, of a clear unanimous decision in his first 12 round championship bout with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, having not gotten the second 12 round decision with Canelo in their second championship go, years passed and the Coronavirus Pandemic occurred. The odds of a Canelo versus GGG trilogy became remote. Canelo has remained magically super active in the 168 and 175 pounds divisions, while the middleweight division’s best fighters have continue to avoid a bout with GGG at every opportunity.
Ryota Murata, 16-3 with 13 knockouts, age 36, Tokyo, Japan, lost his World Boxing Association World Middleweight title after over 40 months inactivity during the Pandemic period, by ninth-round stoppage in the main event at Super Arena, Saitama, Japan, on April 9, 2022, to International Boxing Federation World Middleweight champion Golovkin, 42-1-2 with 37 knockouts, Los Angeles, California by way of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. GGG also holds the IBO World Middleweight title, last defended in December 2020 when GGG stopped Kamil Szeremeta.
Murata looked good for the first four rounds or so, as a cautious GGG, fighting in Japan after 16 months of inactivity, allowed Murata to come forward and attack while he felt him out. Murata actually turned the bout into a brutal war, landing some well-placed body shots and head jabs. Eventually, GGG’s power and pinpoint accuracy as both a come forward attacker and effective counterpuncher exposed Murata as an overhyped eight round fighter. While Murata is well-trained and disciplined, and certainly showed up to take the fight to GGG, Murata’s lengthy inactivity would eventually prove his undoing. A crisp jab from GGG sent Murata’s mouthpiece flying across the ring in round six. GGG’s accuracy began to shine through.
GGG began brutally taking apart Murata in the second half of the bout. After a GGG right hand buckled Murata’s legs in round nine, another right hand floored the helpless and badly beaten Murata, prompting Murata’s corner to throw in the towel. If Canelo gets by Dmitriy Bivol, the WBA Super World Light Heavyweight champion on May 7, 2022, during Cinco de Mayo, Canelo will then face GGG in a super fight on September 17, 2022, either for GGG’s title, or some of the super-middleweight titles, or for some world title in Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden or somewhere.
The final word of the subject of GGG versus Canelo must be settled this fall. GGG and Canelo cannot avoid each other much longer, that is the middleweight moral of the story. Canelo’s only edge advantage is his name and reputation. Judging aside, Canelo, if he gets by Bivol, will be looking at GGG, and then likely the dangerous and deadly likes of hungry veterans like Joe Smith Jr., Artur Beterbiev, David Benavidez, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, Jaime Munguia, and maybe even the best of the best cruiserweight champions Mairis Breidis and Lawrence Okolie in 2023 and 2024, better names than Ilunga Makabu. That is, if Canelo can get by GGG he will ten be faced with the best of the best, including Demetrius Andrade, the Carlo brothers, and even the dangerous Ali Izmailov at 175 pounds.
Pound for pound, the BoxRec has declared Gennady Golovkin the best fighter in the world as of Saturday, April 9, 2022, one notch place higher than Saul Alvarez. That magical statistic could prove one fight too many for Canelo, depending on who does the most work and who wants it badly enough. One thing is for sure: GGG’s third trip to the ring, like Tyson Fury with Deontay Wilder, will not be a social call, it will be a fight to the death. Are you listening, boxing writer Ken Hisner? You heard it first from this source: After Canelo wins a majority decision or close decision over Bivol in May 2022, GGG versus Canelo III this September 2022 will be the fight of the year. Do not expect GGG to leave GG to the scorecards. Like Murata in Japan, it does not matter who the judges are. GGG will endeavor not to leave his trilogy bout with Canelo to the scorecards, and after the first bout, who could blame him? With GGG and Canelo, like Tyson Fury, somebody will want to win the trilogy bout more than the other. This will be a bout about personal pride, not the chow, be sure of it. GGG has a score to settle, and Canelo has nowhere to hide this Fall.
Result: Gennadiy GGG Golovkin TKO 9 Ryota Murata, Middleweights (2:11)
GGG wins World Boxing Association World Middleweight title
GGG retains International Boxing Federation World Middleweight title
GGG’s International Boxing Organization World Middleweight title was not at stake
Referee: Luis Pabon. WBA Supervisor: Jose Oliver Gomez. IBF Supervisor: Ben Keilty.
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