Gennady Golovkin Expects Ryota Murata Bout To Be The ‘Fight Of The Year’

Gennady Golovkin has high expectations for his fight against Ryota Murata on Saturday in Japan.

Golovkin is traveling to Japan to face the local Murata in a highly-anticipated bout. Golovkin is defending his IBF and WBO middleweight titles while he is competing for Murata’s WBA (Super) middleweight title. It’s an intriguing matchup and should GGG win it would set up a trilogy fight with Canelo Alvarez but he needs to defeat Murata first which is a tough matchup but one he expects to be a fun fight for the fans.

“It is a challenge when fighting in a different country, especially if that country happens to be my opponent’s homeland,” Golovkin said (via Boxingscene). “But it spurs me on even more in training camp.  Now that I am in Japan, the adrenaline is starting to pump.  I am really excited to be here and to fight in front of the fans in Japan.  They really love and appreciate good boxing.

“Murata is a good, solid fighter.  There is a reason he has been an Olympic gold medalist and is a two-time WBA world champion.  He came to my training camp in Big Bear many years ago,” Golovkin continued. “We sparred a little.  He was a very serious fighter.  He worked very hard in everything he did in camp, inside and outside the ring.  We got along very well. I am going to be 40 on Friday but I feel good.  I will continue fighting as long as I feel good and can train hard to fight at the level I have come to expect of myself.  Living a healthy lifestyle keeps me feeling good, strong.

“Murata is the most important fight.  Period.  I do not look ahead.  I have been fully invested in training for the fight I have in front of me.  I have too much respect for Murata and his body of work.  My focus is on him and winning his title,” Golovkin concluded. “That is why I am in Japan.  I look forward to fighting in a packed arena.  I have missed that energy.  It is going to be exciting because we both have similar styles of fighting.  We are both power punchers, we are aggressive and we come forward.  Diamonds cut diamonds and on Saturday, there will be two diamonds in the ring.  It will be a boxing gift to the fans  I expect it to be the fight of the year.”

Gennady Golovkin enters the fight coming off three straight wins over Kamil Szeremta, Sergiy Derevanchenko, and Steve Rolls.

Do you think Gennady Golovkin will defeat Ryota Murata?