Gennady Golovkin takes WBA title with TKO of Ryota Murata
Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin celebrates victory against Japan’s Ryota Murata during their WBA IBF middleweight championship boxing bout at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama on April 9, 2022. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
Gennady Golovkin earned a ninth-round TKO against Ryota Murata to unify the IBF and WBA middleweight titles on Saturday at Saitama, Japan.
Struggling early, Golovkin (42-1-1) used in-fight adjustments to rally for the victory a day after his 40th birthday. The victory for the native of Kazakhstan could lead to a third fight with Canelo Alvarez later this year.
Article continues after this advertisementA look back at a BIG GGG stoppage in the 9th. 💥#GGGMurata | @Stake pic.twitter.com/AUfdb767GY
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 9, 2022
Golovkin, the IBF and IBO champion since 2019, previously held the WBC title.
Murata (16-3), a native of Japan who won the WBA title in January, used body blows to take advantage of Golovkin early, but could not hold off his opponent, who went to a flurry of combinations to rally.
GGG is heating up now 🔥#GGGMurata pic.twitter.com/fT96CxgOLm
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 9, 2022
Alvarez next faces Dmitry Bivol on May 7, with a victory likely setting up another meeting with Golovkin. Alvarez and Golovkin fought to a draw in 2017 before Alvarez won the rematch in 2018.
