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IBF and WBA middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin 42-1-1 (37) has cleared a path to a trilogy fight with undisputed super middleweight champion and Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 57-1-2 (39) after defeating Ryota Murata 16-3 (13) at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Saturday night.
The 40-year-old Kazakh bomber got off to a slow start but gradually worked his way back into the fight to stop the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the ninth round.
Golovkin was having his first fight in more than a year and the ring rust showed. Murata, who himself was having his first bout since December 2019, started well and attack the body of Golovkin with ferocity. In the early going Golovkin look a shadow of his former self, but he gradually boxed his was back into the fight by the fifth.
From that point on it was one way traffic, with Golovkin relentlessly attacking the head of the 36-year-old Murata. The bout was called at the 2:11 mark of the ninth frame with Golovkin piling on the punishment. The scores at the time of the stoppage were 78-74, 79-73 and 77-75, all for Golovkin, who will be better for the hit-out.
“Murata was tough and durable,” Golovkin said. “Murata was a super champion. He showed his heart and strength as well. It was my great pleasure I could face him and exchange solid punches each other here in Japan.”
The Japanese boxer was magnanimous in defeat.
“I thought my body shots were effective to GGG,” said Ryota after the fight. “Technically he was superior to me. I deeply realised it as the fight progressed.
“My body punches might hurt Golovkin, but he nullified the effect of my body bombardments by occasionally adjusting the distance so that I couldn’t go on attacking the midsection.
“Also, he often penetrated my guard with solid jabs and left hooks from outside. I did my best, and believe I could show my best. But Golovkin cleverly kept changing the angles of his punches to me with better precision.”
The victory opens up the pathway for Golovkin to face Alvarez for a third time. Their first bout in September 2017 ended in a split draw that was widely regarded as controversial with most pundits and fans believing Golovkin deserved the nod.
Twelve months later they met again with Alvarez getting the nod via majority decision 115-113, 115-113 and 114-114.
Earlier this year Alvarez signed a two-fight deal with streaming service DAZN that will see him face WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol 19-0 (11) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 7.
The second fight in the deal was expected to be Golovkin in September.
Alvarez, 31, was last in action in November when he stopped then-IBF champion Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant 21-1 (12) in 11 rounds to deliver him his first loss.
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