Gennadiy Golovkin TKOs Ryota Murata In Japan, Unifies Middleweight Titles

For fighting for the first time in two years and at the age of 40, Gennadiy Golovkin did more than some fans may have expected from him.

Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) knocked out Ryota Murata (16-3, 13 KOs) in the ninth round of their unification match in Saitama, Japan on Saturday. Golovkin added the WBA middleweight title to his IBF version.

“Murata was a true warrior and he fought to the very end,” Golovkin told DAZN.

“He’s an Olympic champion, he was the WBA champion, and we’re extremely happy to have organized this event. I’d like to thank my fans from Kazakhstan, especially those who travelled here to Japan.”

Both Golovkin and Murata had their moments throughout the bout.

Golovkin would land a jab while Murata would respond by letting his hands go. In the third round, Murata absorbed a hefty attack from Golovkin and caught him with body shots that seemed to wind him.

But Golovkin didn’t seem to be phased by the assault as the fifth round went to him. The veteran Kazakhstan landed a right hand and combination of headshots that momentarily stunned Murata.

In the sixth round, Golovkin continued to pound his opponent, which resulted in Murata’s mouthpiece getting knocked out. Referee Luis Pabon gave the hometown boxer a timeout to get his mouthpiece replaced, preventing Golovkin from getting further into his rhythm.

After that attack, Murata was unable to pick up where he left off.

Golovkin continued to exert his power and by 2:11 minutes of Round 9, the fight was called off and victory was awarded to Golovkin, marking his fourth consecutive win since losing by major decision against Canelo Alvarez in September 2018.

The win now puts Golovkin one step closer to a trilogy fight with Alvarez, as long as the latter defeats Dmitry Bivol in a light heavyweight title fight on May 7.