Via Allan Fox: IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin vs WBA champion Ryota Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) will be rescheduled for March or April. The two were originally scheduled to meet in Japan in December, but the date has been moved to the first quarter of 2022.
This will be the 39-year-old Golovkin’s first match since his seventh round knockout win over IBF Kamil Szeremeta in December 2020. GGG may have fought several times since that fight, but he’s waiting to face 35-year-old Murata.
The inactivity took a toll on Golovkin’s popularity, as he was unable to stay in the limelight, but it’s unclear if he’s worried about it. Golovkin is nearing the end of his career.
Honestly, it would be surprising if Golovkin fought a few more times before he hung up his gloves. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Golovkin’s net worth is $30 million.
Murata lost to Hassan Ndam and Rob Brant, but he came back to win the last two games against Brant and Steven Butler.
You could argue that if Golovkin hadn’t had his wealth, he would have been back in action a long time ago rather than sitting on the sidelines for 12 months after an unsuccessful bout with Polish boxer Szeremeta.
Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) sat inactive for an entire year, waiting for the big money fight with twice-defeated Murata, but when he finally faced the Japanese star, it may not be able to pay. he is losing due to inactivity.
If Golovkin stays busy and fights two to three times in 2021, he is likely to make more money than he will face against Murata.
Overall, it’s hard to understand why Golovkin would wait a year and a half to fight Murata.
“Gennady Golovkin, going to fight Murata in December. It looks like it will be rescheduled for March or April,” Eddie Hearn told iFL TV.
It will be interesting to see who Golovkin fights after the battle with Murata. Will he continue to fight the underdogs he is facing, or will Golovkin test himself by facing Jermall Charlo and Demetrius Andrade?
Since Golovkin’s defeat to Canelo Alvarez in their rematch in 2018, he’s kept a low profile, seemingly speaking less in the media and resisting opposition essentially less by wins over Steve Rolls, Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Szeremeta.
The battle Golovkin wanted was a three-part showdown with Canelo, but it’s unlikely he won the match, even as he focused on fighting his best fights against Demetrius Andrade and Jermall Charlo.
For all intents and purposes, Canelo has been out of quality fighting since his rematch with Golovkin in 2018 and he probably won’t agree to fight the Kazakh boxer a third time even though Who did he beat in the last three years?
But given Golovkin’s focus on fighting lesser fighters in Szeremeta, Rolls and Derevyanchenko, he gave Canelo an excuse not to have to fight him anymore.
