IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin says his unification fight against WBA champion Ryota Murata is expected to take place in early April in Japan.
Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) is looking forward to the fight against the 36-year-old Murata (16-2, 13 KOs), a fighter that has already taken losses to Hassan Ndam and Rob Brant.
Golovkin-Murata isn’t a great fight for boxing fans. Still, it’s an opportunity for the 39-year-old Golovkin to get a nice payday in Japan against Murata, who hasn’t fought in two years since his title defense against Steven Butler in December 2019.
Fans are hoping that Canelo Alvarez will agree to Eddie Hearn’s two-offer to face WBA 175lb champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) on the Cinco de Mayo holiday on May 7th on DAZN, and then Golovkin on September 17th. That deal is believed to be in the $80 million+ range.
However, PBC has offered Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) a one-fight deal to face unbeaten Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs), which would seem a far easier match for the Mexican star.
Despite being a two-division world champion, Jermall has looked beatable against Austin Trout, Juan Macias Montiel, and Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Happy to be back at training camp and to see my team. Hope that a date for the unification fight with Ryota Murata rescheduled for early April will be announced soon. I’m looking forward to traveling to Japan and to more BIG things in 2022 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/iAEo1wUhmJ
— Gennadiy Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) February 16, 2022
It’s difficult to predict which direction Canelo will choose to go in 2022, as he’s continually disappointed because fans by taking the lesser fights in the last four years.
Based on the way Canelo has been carefully picking his opposition since late 2018, you’d have to think that he’ll reject the two-fight offer for him to fight Bivol and Golovkin in 2022 and instead take the easier fight with Jermall Charlo.
Canelo’s opposition since late 2018:
- Rocky Fielding
- Sergey Kovalev
- Daniel Jacobs
- Avni Yildirim
- Caleb Plant
- Billy Joe Saunders
- Callum Smith
With all the time Golovkin wasted trying to get his fight with Murata done, he could have made a lot of money many times. If this thing drags on beyond 2022, it’s going to be quite sad for Golovkin.
If GGG had focused on better-known opposition like Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, David Benavidez, and Caleb Plant in the last two years, he could have stayed active and made a lot of money.
In theory, Golovkin should win his fight with the inactive Ryota Murata without any problems.
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist Murata looked poor in his fights with Butler, Ndam, and Brant, and those are easily the best opponents he’s fought during his nine-year professional career.
With Murata being out of the ring for two solid years, it would be better for Golovkin to fight someone a little more active and better known to the U.S boxing fans.
