TOKYO - Japan's London Olympic champion Ryota Murata will fight Hassan N'Dam for the vacant World Boxing Association "regular" middleweight crown next month, his gym said Monday.
The 31-year-old's first title shot will take place in Tokyo on May 20 against the veteran Cameroon-born Frenchman, who is ranked number one by the WBA.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to fight for the middleweight crown here in Japan," Murata told reporters. "I expect a very tough fight but I want to leave everything out there and return the blessing of having won an Olympic gold medal."
Japan's only previous middleweight world champion was Shinji Takehara, who won the WBA title in 1995.
But the 33-year-old N'Dam, a former World Boxing Organisation champion who has compiled a record of 35 wins, 21 of them by knockout, against two losses, will provide a stern test for Murata.
The Japanese star, who fights out of Tokyo's Teiken Gym, has won all 12 of his professional bouts, including nine by KO.
IN OTHER NEWS: Featherweight Kevin Asmat (2-1, 2 KOs) grew up listening to his father talk about boxing and now the 22-year old from Union City, New Jersey is ready to create his own stories. Kevin will return to the ring to face Mexican Jonathan Ramos (1-2) on April 15, 2017 on the non-televised undercard of the Sullivan Barrera vs. Paul Parker HBO Latino card live from the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.
This will be Kevin's second appearance on the Mohegan Sun's Rising Stars Boxing Series. In his first appearance, he stopped Ernesto Ornelas in the second round. Then, in January of this year, he travelled to China and stopped Said Fahdafi in the first round. When asked about his upcoming fight with Ramos, Asmat said, "I know he comes to fight. I am coming to fight too. He has never been knocked out and we will see if he can last in the ring with me."
According to Kevin, his whole life is boxing. He said, "My father was a boxer. When I was little my father used to tell me a lot of stories about boxing life. He would tell me about how he used to knockout people. My father had like 60 knockouts as an amateur. He used to tell me all these stories when I was growing up until I hit the age of 17 when I said, 'Dad I am tired of hearing your stories. Take me to the gym. I want to make my own stories!' I went with him to the gym and I just fell in love with the sport. Boxing is my life. I live at the gym now."
Asmat's trainer is former super bantamweight fighter and Paterson, New Jersey resident, Diego Rosario. Diego and Kevin have been working together since Kevin's professional debut last year. When asked about Kevin's progress over the last year Rosario responded, "He is a good listener and he has improved so much. I have watched him improve 95% since he made his pro debut less than a year ago. I see big things for him."
Kevin is a member of a large family. His father was one of 12 children, his mother was one of seven children and he is one of five children. So, every time he steps into the ring the audience is packed with his family and friends cheering him on and supporting him. Expect the same to be true for the crowd on April 15 at Mohegan Sun.