Khurtsidze expected to take step-aside money for Saunders

[Ruthless-RKO]

Middleweight contender Avtandil Khurtsidze, the mandatory to face titleholder Billy Joe Saunders, is expected to take step-aside money to allow Saunders to pursue “a major fight next,” a source told RingTV.com on Tuesday.

As a result, Khurtsidze would fight for an interim belt, the source said. “There’s a step-aside deal pending for Khurtsidze,” the source told RING. “He would be able to fight for an interim WBO title, allowing Billy Joe Saunders to fight a major fight next.”

The source declined to provide any more details but it’s no secret that Saunders and his promoter allegedly have expressed interest in fighting Japan’s Ryota Murata (12-0, 9 knockouts). Then there are the usual suspects, such as Saunders possibly waiting to face Canelo Alvarez after he meets Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on May 6 or even the winner of Gennady Golovkin’s middleweight championship with Danny Jacobs set for March 18 at Madison Square Garden.

Saunders has hinted he’s close to a deal for a big fight that would involve him traveling to his opponent’s home country, suggesting he may be talking about Golovkin in his native Kazakhstan, though at this point it’s just speculation. As for who Khurtsidze would face next, Murata is the WBO’s No. 2-rated middleweight while Tommy Langford is No. 3.

The WBO ordered for Khurtsidze (32-2-2, 21 KOs) and Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) to start negotiations on Jan. 26 for a title fight and said if a deal couldn’t be struck a purse bid would be ordered. A purse bid was scheduled to take place on Friday but was postponed. Khurtsidze, 37, has been the WBO’s No. 1 contender for nearly a year since he stopped Antoine Douglas in the 10th round last March.

http://www.ringtv.com/483777-khurtsidze ... -saunders/

[Boxing Prospect]

Murata, Macau,May

[Stuarty]

Murata, Macau,May

Is this in the works for BJS? Must be on a few quid to tempt him over there!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Depending on when he fights Murata, he needs to up his game or he'll lose. I understand he was out for a while, but then Eubank Jr. was out for nearly a year too, and fought a tougher opponent and was in control throughout. even though he did show signs of weaknesses.

He can't be cashing out already though like Smith did against Canelo.

Khurtsidze fighting for the Interim WBO title. The next highest ranked WBO challenger is Tommy Langford.

Does Langford beat Khurtsidze? and then beat the winner of Saunders/Murata?

[Boxing Prospect]

Murata, Macau,May

Is this in the works for BJS? Must be on a few quid to tempt him over there!

Top Rank and Teiken have both mentioned it, Warren admitted they got an offer last year, Zou Shiming's next bout was pushed from April to May in what will likely be the other feature bout. Fuji TV have HUGE pockets and back Murata, Dentsu IIRC still heavily back Murata with a warchest, and that's ignoring the promoters putting money in etc...

[Stuarty]

Murata, Macau,May

Is this in the works for BJS? Must be on a few quid to tempt him over there!

Top Rank and Teiken have both mentioned it, Warren admitted they got an offer last year, Zou Shiming's next bout was pushed from April to May in what will likely be the other feature bout. Fuji TV have HUGE pockets and back Murata, Dentsu IIRC still heavily back Murata with a warchest, and that's ignoring the promoters putting money in etc...

Cheers BP I've not managed to catch much of Murata. Only a few snippets so far. How do you think he does against BJS?

[Boxing Prospect]

Murata has blown a bit hot and cold...but apears to be improving...BJS has blown hot and cold...but with inactivity, and the ...issues he's having Murata beats him with relative ease.

[boxing_rocks]

Murata beats him with relative ease.

Based on what? He hasn't faced a top 50 MW yet, and in amateurs, he was beaten by Khytrov.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Murata beats him with relative ease.

Based on what? He hasn't faced a top 50 MW yet, and in amateurs, he was beaten by Khytrov.

Saunders isn't anything special either. Had he fought Murata in December he would've defo lost. Even so, I had Akavov ahead.

[expe]

Murata beats him with relative ease.

Based on what? He hasn't faced a top 50 MW yet, and in amateurs, he was beaten by Khytrov.

Based on him being Asian.

[craigjenkins05]

Be hilarious if he does, murata obviously a better fighter than quinlan but warren didn't stop banging on about CEJ fighting a 12 fight novice

[expe]

Murata beats him with relative ease.

Based on what? He hasn't faced a top 50 MW yet, and in amateurs, he was beaten by Khytrov.

Saunders isn't anything special either. Had he fought Murata in December he would've defo lost. Even so, I had Akavov ahead.

There's a lot of fighters he'd have lost to if he turned up like that to fight them. If he turns up in shape after a proper training camp, with a proper trainer, as he's going to this time, seems like he's lived the life between camps too for the first time ever, he's a completely different fighter. I don't think he could perform any worse than he did against Akavov and he still did enough to win the fight, complete waste of time judging him on that fight, anyone that expects him to show up like that again is in for a massive shock.

[gilgamesh]

Has Saunders even been talking about major fights? Khurtsidze would be the biggest fight he's fought up to this point or pretty close to it at least.

[boxing_rocks]

Has Saunders even been talking about major fights? Khurtsidze would be the biggest fight he's fought up to this point or pretty close to it at least.

Yes, he tweeted about a major fight abroad. Some thought that it is Golovkin in Kazakhstan, but it is likely Murata.

[gilgamesh]

Has Saunders even been talking about major fights? Khurtsidze would be the biggest fight he's fought up to this point or pretty close to it at least.

Yes, he tweeted about a major fight abroad. Some thought that it is Golovkin in Kazakhstan, but it is likely Murata.

How is Murata any bigger a fight than Khurtsidze?

[handsofstone]

Has Saunders even been talking about major fights? Khurtsidze would be the biggest fight he's fought up to this point or pretty close to it at least.

Yes, he tweeted about a major fight abroad. Some thought that it is Golovkin in Kazakhstan, but it is likely Murata.

How is Murata any bigger a fight than Khurtsidze?

Was just about to ask the same thing

[expe]

Has Saunders even been talking about major fights? Khurtsidze would be the biggest fight he's fought up to this point or pretty close to it at least.

It'd be nowhere near his biggest fight, a distant third at best. It's not a particularly big fight in any way, just a routine mandatory defence.

[gilgamesh]

Has Saunders even been talking about major fights? Khurtsidze would be the biggest fight he's fought up to this point or pretty close to it at least.

It'd be nowhere near his biggest fight, a distant third at best. It's not a particularly big fight in any way, just a routine mandatory defence.

Khurtsidze would have a solid chance at beating him I'd say. Certainly you couldn't argue that a fight with Murata is somehow bigger than a fight with Khurtsidze. If he's talking about fighting the GGG/Jacobs winner then yeah that's a bigger fight. Murata certainly isn't.

[expe]

Yes, he tweeted about a major fight abroad. Some thought that it is Golovkin in Kazakhstan, but it is likely Murata.

How is Murata any bigger a fight than Khurtsidze?

Was just about to ask the same thing

Bigger money, crowd, viewing figures, it's bigger in just about every way possible, other than the level of the opponent because no one really knows how good Murata is yet.

[boxing_rocks]

Isn't Murata an Olympic champion, at least on paper ?

[Boxing Prospect]

Isn't Murata an Olympic champion, at least on paper ?

And a world amateur silver medal winner