Does this mean that GGG Promotions and Matchroom USA's partnership, which was established during August 2019, has ended?
I'd also be pretty shocked if Eddie Hearn doesn't heavily influence DAZN's head honchos, when it comes to making decisions about boxing content, especially when you consider the fact that Matchroom's head office is only 35 miles away from DAZN's.
Does this mean that GGG Promotions and Matchroom USA's partnership, which was established during August 2019, has ended?
I'd also be pretty shocked if Eddie Hearn doesn't heavily influence DAZN's head honchos, when it comes to making decisions about boxing content, especially when you consider the fact that Matchroom's head office is only 35 miles away from DAZN's.
Didn't GGG sign his own deal with DAZN?
I always assumed he co-signed with Matchroom, so he could use some of his stable on his undercards.
Does this mean that GGG Promotions and Matchroom USA's partnership, which was established during August 2019, has ended?
I'd also be pretty shocked if Eddie Hearn doesn't heavily influence DAZN's head honchos, when it comes to making decisions about boxing content, especially when you consider the fact that Matchroom's head office is only 35 miles away from DAZN's.
Didn't GGG sign his own deal with DAZN?
I always assumed he co-signed with Matchroom, so he could use some of his stable on his undercards.
I may be wrong.
Gennadiy met with DAZN and Matchroom (Eddie Hearn & John Skipper) at precisely the same time (in Los Angeles December 2018), when he was negotiating his deals with both parties.
Eddie Hearn said he was trying to help finalise the terms of GGG’s deal with DAZN. Gennadiy probably wouldn't be with DAZN without Eddie's involvement.
GGG initially signed the deal with DAZN during March 2019 and a couple of months later, he agreed his co-promotional deal with Matchroom USA.
Matchroom co-promoted both the Derevyanchenko and Szeremeta bouts.
A few days ago Eddie Hearn was discussing GGG’s future plans as if he was personally involved with Gennadiy’s career.
I have no idea what’s going on, but I genuinely believe that Eddie Hearn was probably consulted about the GGG-Murata bout either by DAZN or by Gennadiy himself.
Whilst I don’t think for one second that Eddie Hearn is DAZN’s boxing head honcho, because GBP manage their own boxing content, but I strongly suspect he’ll be involved in the high-level decision-making process in at least an unofficial capacity.
Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑28 Dec 2021, 12:57
Will be April or May.
FFS!
Assuming what you've written is true, by the time he enters the ring against GGG, Ryota Murata would have:
• Only won two fights within the last four years
• Been the champion for more than 35 months without performing a mandatory defence
• Been inactive for the last 2½ years
In terms of GGG, he would have:
• Only scored two legitimate victories within the last four years (both were mismatches)
• Hasn’t performed a mandatory defence and has also been inactive for 18 months
These two guys are holding their belts hostage.
Neither of these guys have a legitimate reason to justify their inactivity.
It’s about time these inactive past-their-prime veterans either retire or pass the torch to the divisions’ young guns (by actually defending their titles).
Last edited by Enlightened-One on 28 Dec 2021, 21:27, edited 1 time in total.
margaret thatcher wrote: ↑28 Dec 2021, 21:26
ggg getting even older, fight becoming more competitive
The combined age of GGG and Murata will be 76 years and nine months by the time they eventually fight (assuming the bout is staged late May), which is 2½ years older than Foreman-Cooney (nicknamed at the time as “Two Old Geezers at Caesars”).
Both men will be entering the ring having only scored two legitimate victories each within the last four years!
I’m sorry, but it’s just a horrible fight… and neither of these guys have a legitimate reason to justify their inactivity!
Even if G is older his main attributes are his top level experience, power, footwork and timing. Guys like Murata, Munguia and Eubank Jr are tailor made for GGG.
apollo creed wrote: ↑29 Dec 2021, 07:18
Even if G is older his main attributes are his top level experience, power, footwork and timing. Guys like Murata, Munguia and Eubank Jr are tailor made for GGG.
His head&chin could take a wrecking ball.
Are you pleased about Gennadiy’s inactivity?
Do you support inactive champions that won’t defend their world titles?
apollo creed wrote: ↑29 Dec 2021, 07:18
Even if G is older his main attributes are his top level experience, power, footwork and timing. Guys like Murata, Munguia and Eubank Jr are tailor made for GGG.
His head&chin could take a wrecking ball.
i think munguia might bring too much young lion heat for older ggg
apollo creed wrote: ↑29 Dec 2021, 07:18
Even if G is older his main attributes are his top level experience, power, footwork and timing. Guys like Murata, Munguia and Eubank Jr are tailor made for GGG.
His head&chin could take a wrecking ball.
Are you pleased about Gennadiy’s inactivity?
Do you support inactive champions that won’t defend their world titles?
Same like Hagler did in his era, 34+y/o GGG fought&beat the best in his era(Canelo, Jacobs and Chenko) !
Now 40 y/o G can do whatever he wants to do bc he earned it! Fighting Murata in Japan is one of the best fights G can get atm @160, business-wise!
Last edited by apollo creed on 29 Dec 2021, 15:06, edited 1 time in total.
apollo creed wrote: ↑29 Dec 2021, 07:18
Even if G is older his main attributes are his top level experience, power, footwork and timing. Guys like Murata, Munguia and Eubank Jr are tailor made for GGG.
His head&chin could take a wrecking ball.
i think munguia might bring too much young lion heat for older ggg
Maybe but Mung never got hit by someone like G! Would Mung be able to take G's jabs, left hooks and right overhands?
• It would have taken a combined total of six years and ten months for both men to have scored their most recent two wins apiece.
• Both men will have a combined total age of 76 years and three months.
Both of those stats are worse than the fighters that participated in the 1990 bout between Foreman and Cooney, which was then dubbed by critics as the two old “Geezers at Caesars”.
Press Release | Golovkin vs. Murata: April 9 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan
Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, boxing's most dominant middleweight of his era, is bringing the Big Drama Show and his IBF and IBO world title belts to his opponent's backyard, Japan, where he will rumble with two-time WBA middleweight kingpin Ryota Murata (16-2, 13 KOs), in a long-awaited title unification fight.
"I am glad that the date has finally been set. I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers from Japan for their hard work and full support of the upcoming unification fight," said Golovkin. "Ryota Murata is an outstanding champion. I believe that boxing fans from this beautiful country and around the world will see an exciting event. I look forward to getting back in the ring and bringing the Big Drama Show to Japan."
Promoted by Teiken Promotions Inc., in association with GGG Promotions, Golovkin vs. Murata takes place Saturday, April 9 (it had been originally scheduled for December 29 before being postponed because of the Omicron outbreak), and will be streamed live from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, which border's Murata's hometown of Tokyo, to over 200 countries and territories, including the U.S., exclusively on DAZN (excluding Japan and Kazakhstan). In a battle of two-time world champions and Olympic medalists, Golovkin and Murata will be looking to put their stamp on, arguably, boxing's most storied weight class. They boast a combined record of 57-3-1, 49 KOs -- a winning percentage of over 93% -- with 86% of their victories coming by way of knockout.
"It is an honor to share the ring with the great champion Gennadiy Golovkin," said Murata. "I am extremely pleased to be part of this historic middleweight title unification fight here in Japan. On April 9th, victory will be mine and Japan will have a unified World Middleweight Champion."
Golovkin, who has worn a world championship belt every year since 2010, will be looking to build on his division-record of successful title defenses, which currently stands at 21. He returns to the ring in the midst of his second reign as a middleweight world champion. Golovkin regained the IBF and IBO middleweight titles in 2019 with a unanimous decision victory over top-rated contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko, a three-time world title challenger. It was a hellacious toe-to-toe slugfest that had the frenzied crowd at Madison Square Garden on its feet for the entire 12 rounds. Many considered it the Fight of the Year. In his last fight, on December 18, 2020, Golovkin scored four knockdowns against undefeated mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta, en route to a seventh-round stoppage and a record 21st successful middleweight title defense.
Golovkin's Big Drama Show has packed iconic arenas around the world, selling out Madison Square Garden, The O2 in London, the Fabulous Forum and StubHub Center in Los Angeles, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This will be his first time fighting in Japan. His 11-year rampage on the middleweight division has also attracted millions of viewers who have watched him on premium cable, pay-per-view, and DAZN. He earned an Olympic silver medal as a middleweight in the 2004 summer games in Athens.
“We cannot wait to have Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin back on DAZN, facing off against Ryota Murata for the WBA, IBF, and IBO Middleweight World Titles,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN. “Murata takes a big step up against the middleweight king GGG, who looks to continue his reign in the division after dismantling Szeremeta last time out. This is set to be a brilliant fight, and we’re thrilled to have it live on DAZN on April 9th.”
Murata's two world title reigns have begun with stoppage victories in immediate rematches that avenged losses. After losing a split decision to Hassan N'Dam on May 20, 2017, for the vacant WBA middleweight title, he dethroned N'Dam in the seventh round five months later, on October 22, 2017. After a successful title defense -- an eighth-round TKO of Emanuele Blandamura on April 15, 2018 -- Murata lost his title to Rob Brant via a unanimous decision on October 20, 2018.
Nine months later, on July 12, 2019, Murata stopped Brant in the second round to reclaim the WBA middleweight title. In his last fight, before the pandemic, Murata successfully defended his title with a fifth-round TKO of once-beaten Steven Butler. The six-foot Murata, one of Japan's most popular athletes, first came to the world's attention when he captured the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics held in London. It was the first gold medal won by a Japanese boxer since Takao Sakurai in 1964, and also Japan's first-ever boxing medal in a weight class other than bantamweight or flyweight. Murata also became the 100th gold medalist in Japanese Olympic history. Murata’s last eight victories have come by way of stoppage.
On Wednesday, it was announced that IBF middleweight titleholder Gennadiy Golovkin would face WBA counterpart Ryota Murata in a unification matchup at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on April 9.
Well, news reached The Ring earlier that highly-talented WBO flyweight titleholder Junto Nakatani would defend his title against Ryota Yamauchi on the undercard.
Nakatani, who is rated No. 2 by The Ring at 112 pounds, will make the second defense of his crown against Yamauchi, who is rated No. 10.
The 24-year-old Nakatani (22-0, 17 knockouts) claimed the vacant WBO belt by defeating Giemel Magramo (KO 8) in November 2020. He impressively turned back the challenge of former WBO 108-pound titleholder Angel Acosta (TKO 4) in his maiden defense last September.
Yamauchi (8-1, 7 KOs) turned professional in 2017. He won his first four fights before tasting defeat against Wulan Tuolehazi (UD 12). The 27-year-old has rebounded with four wins to earn his world title shot.
Also on the card, OPBF lightweight titlist Shuichiro Yoshino will meet former WBO 130-pound beltholder Masayuki Ito.
Yoshino (14-0, 11 KOs), 30, turned professional in 2015. He won the Japanese national title – which he defended seven times – and also holds the OPBF title. Ito will be his most significant test to date.
Ito made his name at junior lightweight, where he won the OPBF title before graduating to world level and dethroning then-WBO beltholder Christopher Diaz (UD 12). He defended successfully against Evgeny Chuprakov (TKO 7), but lost out against Jamel Herring (UD 12). Ito (27-3-1, 15 KOs) then moved up to lightweight and is 2-1 in his last three fights.
I don't know whether their bout in April will involve Matchroom, but apparently their original December 29th 2021 fight-date did (at least according to the WBA's website):
