Ryota Murata: record, next fight and profile →
The next challenge in Canelo Alvarez’s career could get some clarity very soon. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday that he’s “very close to a deal” in finalizing an opponent for his four-division champion. The fight against the yet to be announced foe will take place May 2 in Las Vegas on Cinco De Mayo Weekend.
WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith is shocked at the unexpected news of Canelo Alvarez potentially facing Japanese star Ryota Murata in May. Last year, Canelo unified the WBC, IBF, WBA middleweight titles when he won a twelve round decision over Daniel Jacobs in May. He then moved up by two weight divisions to light heavyweight, to score a knockout of Sergey Kovalev to capture the WBO world title in November.
The past 12 months proved far more memorable to Ryota Murata than was the case a year ago. The two-time and reigning secondary middleweight titlist closed out 2019 with a bang, taking out Steven 'Bang Bang' Butler in a one-sided 5th round stoppage win Monday evening at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. Murata dropped Canada's Butler late in round five, prompting an immediate stoppage. The official time was 2:45 of round five.
All participants on Monday’s ESPN+ show did their job at the scale one day prior. The stacked title fight tripleheader goes off without a hitch, as everyone making weight for the pre-holiday show Monday evening live from Yokohama, Japan. Headlining the show, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and local hero Ryota Murata faces Canada’s Steven Butler in a 12-round middleweight heat.
Two days before Christmas, American fight fans will be treated to a special fistic stocking stuffer, a world championship tripleheader plus the return of the former pound-for-pound king and future Hall of Famer, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.
It's not the traditional New Year's Eve show that regularly comes out of Japan but still a card which helps end the year with a bang. A press conference was held Wednesday afternoon in Japan to announce one of the best shows of 2019, which will take place Dec. 23 at Yokohoma Arena in Yokohoma, Japan. Topping the loaded tripleheader, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Ryota Murata returns to his home region as he faces Canada's Steven Butler. The show will also feature an A-list junior flyweight title unification clash between Japan's Ken Shiro (16-0, 9KOs) and Nicaragua's Felix Alvarado (35-2, 30KOs), as well as long-reigningflyweight titlist Moruti Mhtalane (38-2, 25KOs) in a title defense versus former three-division champ and local cult hero Akira Yaegashi (28-6, 16KOs).
Steven Butler was presented with a direct path to a title shot. In choosing another direction, the streaking contender has now disrupted plans for two middleweight fights. The timeframe will remain the same for Canada’s Butler, whom BoxingScene.com has learned will now instead challenge Ryota Murata for the latter’s World Boxing Association (WBA) secondary middleweight title. The bout is being targeted for December in Japan, to stream live on ESPN+ in the United States although an exact date and location have yet to come to surface
Tureano Johnson recently dispatched of Jason Quigley in impressive fashion, smashing his way back into the world top 10 with most of the governing bodies. The Bahamian was set to re-enter camp in Atlanta before heading to Team Havoc's headquarters in Brooklyn, New York ahead of a potential world title eliminator in the latter end of 2019. These plans are still in place, however, Johnson looks to help with the aid efforts in his native Bahamas which has left the country devastated.
Australian boxing's newest star Michael Zerafa is eyeing a world title shot after his upset win over Jeff Horn during an eye-catching Saturday night card in Bendigo. A capacity crowd of 4500 at Bendigo Stadium witnessed one of the best and most exciting Australian boxing shows of recent years.
Jeff Horn’s dream of a middleweight title fight gave way to a bloody nightmare. The Battle of Bendigo began with a controversy over the use of ring card girls and ended with Michael Zerafa scoring a 9th round knockout in a stunning upset Saturday evening in Bendigo, Australia. Zerafa scored knockdowns in rounds two and nine, the latter frame seeing Horn battered and eventually rescued from further punishment.