Gennadiy Golovkin returns to the ring Saturday when he puts his IBF middleweight world championship on the line up against WBA titleholder Ryota Murata in a unified tilt from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and live on DAZN. The ramifications are steep as GGG could punch his ticket to a trilogy fight with rival Canelo Alvarez via an impressive win. Meanwhile, Murata could halt those plans with an upset.
With so much at stake, DAZN took the time to list keys to victory for each boxer.
Ryota Murata’s keys to victory
Tire GGG out with volume punching
Golovkin turns 40 on Friday. At 36, Murata isn’t a spring chicken, either. However, he should look to come out and set a tone by touching Golovkin with his jab immediately. Asserting the jab could be the key to open up volume power punching from the Japanese fighter and bolster his chances. Not to mention, doing so might be the only way to prevent Golovkin from walking him down.
Attacking body toward volume punching
There was a moment in the fifth round of the October 2019 tilt between Golovkin and Sergiy Derevyanchenko where the Ukrainian fighter crashed two crunching left hooks into GGG’s midsection. The first shot wobbled Golovkin and the second one looked like it was about to send him to the canvas were it not for the referee who inadvertently bumped into the legend and might have broken his fall in the process.
Nevertheless, the commitment to the body helped change the complexion of the fight — one which many felt Derevyanchenko did enough to win despite the unanimous decision in Golovkin’s favor.
Murata could make a similar commitment to targeting Golovkin’s body. If he hurts GGG’s body, he can look to unload upstairs and do major damage. Murata is capable of a launching a stinging body attack. Less than three months prior, Murata pounded Rob Brant’s body in their July 2019 rematch and that offense paved the way for an all-out power display toward a second-round knockout victory to become a two-time WBA middleweight world champion.
Limit GGG’s big punches, especially early
Golovkin should not be content going the distance. If he starts walking Murata down early, watch out, as big power punches will follow. It’s up to Murata to withstand those early onslaughts by using his jab, buying a bit of space and even clinching if he needs to. Anything but be a stationary target for Golovkin’s forward-fighting bulldozing.
Gennadiy Golovkin's keys to victory
Walk Murata down behind a power jab
Murata doesn’t have the best feet. He’s going to be there to hit and crushing opponents is what GGG does best. Thirty-six of his 41victories coming by the way of knockout will tell you that. Asserting a power jab early will allow Golovkin to walk Murata down and blast him in close quarters. Making Murata move in the slightest, especially backpedal, should make him vulnerable to getting hit with a big shot and several of them. Even during this twilight stage of his career, Golovkin pieces together power punches in combinations better than most.
Hiding the uppercut
GGG hides his uppercut stealthy until it’s just too late and … BAM! He connects, popping his opponent’s head back like Pez dispenser. Murata doesn’t mind stepping into the phonebooth and that could play right into Golovkin’s hands for detonating that uppercut. If Murata doesn’t take cover, the shot could possibly even end his night.
Unload heavy artillery early
Golovkin’s last fight was December 2020 as he produced a stoppage of Kamil Szeremeta after the seventh round. Both the Derevyanchenko and Szeremeta victories had GGG generating a first-round knockdown.
Similarly, Golovkin could look to unload heavy artillery and sit Murata down early. Remember, Murata’s last bout was roughly a year before GGG’s last fight, as the Japanese fighter notched a fifth-round TKO of Steven Butler back in December 2019. That means he could be ripe for the picking with an onslaught to shock his system early. Golovkin’s piercing punches should test Murata's chin during the opening round and could pave the way for an early stoppage that would have him walk out with two middleweight world titles in tow.