Newly crowned WBA middleweight “regular” champ Murata already looking at fight with Golovkin

By James Slater - 10/23/2017 - Comments

Yesterday in Tokyo, Japan, Ryota Murata pleased the many thousands of his homeland fans in attendance as he ripped the WBA middleweight “regular” title from Hassan N’Dam, the Frenchman remaining on his stool after seven torrid (for him) rounds.

As jubilant and as emotional as he was in becoming the first Japanese fighter to win a version of the middleweight title in over twenty years, Murata, 13-1(10) was also very respectful when speaking about the man he knows he must defeat if he’s to become the universally accepted middleweight king: Gennady Golovkin.

GGG, who holds the WBA middleweight “super” title, along with a handful of other belts, has other, unfinished business on his mind right now – namely that hugely anticipated return meeting with Canelo Alvarez; pencilled in as it is for next May – and he is “the strongest” middleweight champ, Murata said graciously.

“Boxing lovers will know there’s a stronger middleweight champion than me out there,” a victorious Murata said, referring to Triple-G. “I will try my best to beat him.”

The large crowd applauded these words and it’s safe to say that if the 2012 Olympic gold medal winner were to fight GGG, and beat him, Murata would be a sensation not only in Japan but throughout the world. Of course there is a long, long way to go before this fight can even be talked about as a genuine possibility.

Can GGG beat Canelo in the return? How long will Golovkin choose to box on for? But Murata, in aiming as high as can be, must be commended. And who knows, with his size (six-feet), his amateur pedigree and his youth (Murata is a 31 but a young 31, whereas GGG is five years the older man with a ton of fights on his body) Murata could develop into the next dominant middleweight ruler. GGG, who has boxed all over the world, has never had a pro fight in Tokyo, so maybe the pound-for-pound star would find the idea of facing Murata in Japan appealing.

If/when he can get the big fights, Murata will be up for the challenge, that much is certain.