Boxing: All you need to know about Gennadiy Golovkin v Ryota Murata
bet365 News Team 05 Apr 22
Gennadiy Golovkin returns to the ring on Saturday morning after a 16-month break to take on Ryota Murata in a middleweight unification fight in Japan.
GGG was last seen when successfully defending his IBF middleweight belt Kamil Szeremeta in December 2020 and he now gets a shot at the WBA Super title that he lost to Canelo Alvarez in 2018.
Murata was promoted to Super champion after he defeated Rob Brant in 2019, having won a secondary WBA title against Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam in 2017 and here is everything you need to know ahead of Saturday night's fight.
Golovkin v Murata odds
Golovkin is the short-priced favourtie to win this bout. Triple G is 1/6 to win the fight by any means, 4/6 by stoppage and 9/4 to claim the belts by decision.
Murata is 7/2 to cause an upset, 10/1 for a knockout win and 13/2 to take it on points.
The fight is not 8/15 to go the distance and it's 11/8 that we hear the final bell.
Golovkin v Murata what time is the fight?
The fight is being held at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and it is expected to get under way at around 10am UK time.
Where can you watch Golovkin v Murata?
The bout will be shown live on streaming service DAZN.
What are the records of the fighters?
Golovkin was a brilliant amateur fighter and the Kazakhstan star won World Championship gold in 2003. Triple G finished the first part of his career with a staggering overall record of 345 wins and just five defeats.
Golovkin has been beaten just one in 43 professional contests and even that reversal was a questionable one. GGG and Alvarez clashed in a 2017 mega-fight and that was judged to have been a draw.
Many were of the opinion that Triple G had done enough to win the bout and the same can be said when the Kazakhstan star was beaten on points by the Mexican in the rematch.
GGG has wins over Kell Brook, David Lemieux and Daniel Jacobs on his record and he showed there is still more to give when outpointing Sergiy Derevyanchenko to win the vacant IBF title in 2019.
Murata's record is a mixed bag. The Japanese fighter won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, but it hasn't been a smooth transition to the elite-level of the professional ranks.
The Tokyo puncher was beaten by N'Dam N'Jikam and Brant, but he avenged both of those defeats in the subsequent rematches.
Murata's overall record stands at 16-2-0 he certainly carries plenty of power, with 13 of those victories coming via stoppage.
Golovkin v Murata who will win?
Golovkin deserves to be favourite and he has certainly mixed it at a higher level. However, GGG will celebrate his 40th birthday the day before this bout and no fighter can defy time.
It's testament to Triple G's brilliance that he is still able to box at this level at this stage of his career and Murata has plenty in his favour on Saturday night.
The Japanese puncher is boxing on home soil, he is four years younger than Golovkin and he is no doubt the fresher fighter.
However, this is the biggest test of Murata's career and even at 7/2 it's difficult to make a case for the upset.
GGG has eyes on a third fight against Alvarez and the Kazakh star should shine bright in Japan - he has tremendous power and 36 of Triple G's 41 wins have come via stoppage.
That looks the most likely outcome in the Super Arena and backing under 9.5 rounds at 5/6 is the way to play in Saturday night's unification showdown.
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