By Jake Donovan

The undercard is still taking shape for the November 7 HBO-televised welterweight clash between Timothy Bradley and Brandon Rios, but will include no fewer than two Olympic Gold medalists.

Ryota Murata joins fellow 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko in supporting action, with both fighters appearing in separate bouts at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lomachenko—who claimed Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012—defends his featherweight title versus Mexico’s Romulo Koasicha in the opening bout of the HBO doubleheader.

Just prior to the cameras rolling, Murata (7-0, 5KOs) will make his stateside debut against an opponent to be determined. Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum confirmed his placement on the card during a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles to formally announce the event.

Murata signed with Arum’s Top Rank Inc. in 2013, nearly a year after capturing a Gold medal for Japan during the 2012 London Olympics. He left the pro ranks with a stellar mark of 119-18 (89KOs), with his last loss coming in 2011 versus current pro middleweight prospect Ievegn Khytrov.

The road to Olympic Gold was loaded with nail-biters, including back-to-back one-point wins over Uzbekistan’s Abbos Ateov and Brazil’s Esquiva Falcao in the medal rounds.

Falcao signed with Top Rank in Nov. ’13, just five months after Murata. Their paths have yet to cross, though it’s entirely possible that both wind up atop the middleweight division down the road given their rich amateur backgrounds and progress in the pro ranks to date.

Murata’s last ring appearance came in May, scoring a 5th round knockout over Douglas Damiao Ataide. To date, all of his fights have come against opposition with vastly more pro experience.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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