Rob Brant vs. Ryota Murata II - July 12, 2019

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBA 'regular' middleweight champion, Rob Brant, will be going to Osaka, Japan, to face Ryoto Murata, once again in mid-July. Brant handily defeated Murata last October in Las Vegas to win this belt. On February 15 Brant stopped Khasan Baysangurov in 11 rounds in his first title defense. Bob Arum says this bout will be streamed on ESPN+.

Steve Kim, ESPN
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ESPN’s Steve Kim reports that Rob Brant will head to Osaka, Japan to make the second defense of his WBA middleweight title against the man he took that belt from, Ryota Murata, in “mid-July.”

There were talks of Brant (25-1, 17 KO) facing Jeff Horn in Australia, then of Murata (14-2, 11 KO) facing Horn instead when that didn’t pan out. According to Horn, he turned down a $2 million offer to fight Murata on July 12th in favor of helping his wife through the birth of their second child.

So now we get a rematch of last October’s huge upset in Las Vegas. Brant was only two fights removed from an uninspiring loss to Juergen Braehmer, but overwhelmed Murata with volume to take a unanimous decision and scuttle Top Rank’s plan to pit the Japanese Olympian against Gennady Golovkin. Murata has been out of action since, while Brant stopped previously unbeaten Khasan Baysangurov in February
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Thoughts on rematch?

The first fights thread hardly got many comments, many thinking Murata was too much for Brant and Brant proved a lot of people wrong.. The thread started getting more comments after the fight.

[jamamb]

omfg what is with these uneccessay top rank rematches

[Ruthless-RKO]

omfg what is with these uneccessay top rank rematches

He hasn’t got any MW’s.. he’s got money behind him but can’t get any of the DAZN or PBC guys to fight on ESPN.

I’d rather one of them fought Jeff Horn tbh.

[Cent0089]

First fight was so one sided :-/ I cannot imagine what could Murata do different in rematch. Anyway i am rooting for him

[SenorPipino]

I don't see Brant as anything special.

Apparently Murata isn't either.

I understand that the money is in Japan.

But Brant is tempting fate by returning there again to fight one of their own.

Although Brant won the first fight decisively, I suspect that there really isn't that big a gap in talent.

And defending it on enemy turf might just be enough to cost him his strap.

Murata will reclaim the regular throne by decision.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Unless Brant can just do more every round. He won the first bout by simply keeping busy. Murata couldn’t even do anything.

[jamamb]

brant beat da sh!t out of murata, he just needs to keep the punches flowing and it seems he has a top level engine to do so. finished his last opponent late too

[SenorPipino]

Brant is aggressive but he always looks like a guy who will eventually run into a big shot.

Wouldn't be surprised if Murata pulled the trigger and got him out of there this time.

Then we could await the trilogy.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Brant is aggressive but he always looks like a guy who will eventually run into a big shot.

Wouldn't be surprised if Murata pulled the trigger and got him out of there this time.

Then we could await the trilogy.

Can’t wait for the trilogy! Big money fight that.

[SenorPipino]

Can’t wait for the trilogy! Big money fight that.

I've heard that the paydays are pretty good in Japan.

Fuji TV.

Why else would Brant return there instead of defending his title in the friendly confines of Minnesota?

[chuck9788]

I've heard that the paydays are pretty good in Japan. Fuji TV. Why else would Brant return there instead of defending his title in the friendly confines of Minnesota?

Brants only loss was an uninspiring effort on the road in Germany vs Braehmer. I am concerned that he has difficulty getting acclimated to far away foreign destinations. And I think we can all agree that there will be very few Rob Brant fans in Osaka to give him a supportive boost.

[Boxing Prospect]

Can’t wait for the trilogy! Big money fight that.

As someone else mentioned, Fuji TV back Murata, they have.... A nice amount to throw at boxing... The pay day for fight 2 will be solid

[Ruthless-RKO]

When Robert Brant wrested a secondary middleweight world title from Japanese star Ryota Murata in October, he did so in Las Vegas, where he trains and spends a lot of time. Now he is headed to Murata's turf for the rematch.

Both fighters were on hand as the sequel was announced at a news conference on Thursday morning in Tokyo. The bout will take place on July 12 at Edion Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan. It will be broadcast live in the morning hours in the United States on an ESPN platform to be determined as part of the network's deal with Top Rank, the co-promoter of both fighters.

Brant threw 1,262 punches, the second-most ever recorded by CompuBox in a middleweight fight, in a dominating performance when he met Murata at the Park Theater in Las Vegas and claimed the 160-pound belt. Murata had no answers for Brant's all-out aggressive assault that led him to victory by scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110.

It was such a one-sided fight that Murata at first declined his contractual option for an immediate rematch, though when he reconsidered and wanted the sequel the sides worked it out because it would be by far the most lucrative makeable fight for either man right now.

Murata has not boxed since the loss, while Brant defended the belt with an 11th-round knockout of Khasan Baysangurov on Feb. 15 in Hinckley, Minnesota, a homecoming fight for the St. Paul, Minnesota, native at a venue he had fought at numerous times.

Now Brant (25-1, 17 KOs), 28, who lives in Dallas, is headed overseas for the second time as a professional. The first time resulted in a one-sided, 12-round decision loss to Juergen Braehmer in a super middleweight fight in the World Boxing Super Series tournament in October 2017.

Brant has won three fights in a row since and said he has no problem going on the road for the rematch with Murata.

"I am very excited to be defending my title in Japan against Ryota Murata. Ever since I beat him for the belt, I have always known this fight was on the horizon," Brant said. "I feel Murata is only at his full potential while in front of his people. This fight is me showing the world that I can bring my full potential with me wherever I go."

Said Greg Cohen, Brant's co-promoter: "There is no doubt that the rematch with Murata will be a terrific fight filled with tension, excitement and anticipation in front of the supportive Japanese crowd. We expect Rob to perform even better the second time around and look forward to another impressive performance. It certainly won't be easy, but we are confident that the cream will once again rise to the top."

Murata (14-2, 11 KOs), 33, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and one of the most popular athletes in Japan, never made any excuses for the loss but is anxious for his second crack at Brant.

"Rob Brant beat me fair and square, but I am ready to get revenge," Murata said. "I want to show everyone the real Ryota Murata and regain my world title in spectacular fashion. I took some time off after my last fight, but I never lost my fighting desire. In fact, I am more motivated than ever."

[Best Coast]

I've got Brant winning the rematch, but not as one-sided as the original matchup!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

I've got Brant winning the rematch, but not as one-sided as the original matchup!!

Because it's in Japan?

[Ruthless-RKO]

At a press conference which took place in Tokyo, officially announcing that unbeaten Japanese WBC light flyweight champion, Ken “The Amazing Boy” Shiro’s (15-0, 8 KO’s) will make the sixth defense against the official WBC challenger, Filipino southpaw Jonathan “Lightning” Taconing (28-3-1, 22KOs).

The fight will be on July 12 at the Osaka Edion Arena in Osaka city, Japan. For Ken it’ll be the sixth defense of the crown he conquered in 2017 in Tokyo after defeating Mexican Ganigan “The Wonder” Lopez, whom he stopped in a rematch, via a second round KO, in May 2018.

In his most recent fight in Tokyo last December, Shiro defeated Mexican Saul “Baby” Juarez, by unanimous decision.

For Taconig, this will be his third title opportunity. His first title attempt was in 2012 in Thailand for WBC light flyweight crown against the then Thai champion Kompayak Porpramook. He lost by technical decision in the fifth round. Then in 2016 in Mexico, he was defeated by then champion Ganigan Lopez.

At the press conference, Ken Shiro commented: “I am very motivated, since I am going to fight in Osaka for the first time as a world champion. Jonathan Taconing is a good puncher. So when I fight him, I’ll fight fast, but carefully, using distance and throwing plenty of jabs to keep him at bay.”

*************
Also on the card, the tough undefeated southpaw slugger Satoshi Shimizu (8-0, 8 KOs).

The card is headlined by the high stakes rematch for the WBA "regular" middleweight title between Japanese challenger Ryota Murata and champion Rob Brant.

For Shimizu, this will be his ninth professional fight since the leap to the professional ranks in 2016, after an amateur of record of 150 wins and 20 losses, and an Olympic bronze medal at bantamweight in the 2012 London games.

At the press conference, Shimizu promised to impress against Joe Noynay.

Shimizu stressed that "I can say that I am trustworthy yet ready for whatever comes when I challenge a world champion, whether it's at featherweight or super super featherweight. I am willing to go in there and prove my unequivocal show of pugilistic power in my next fight, flaunting an overwhelming and impressive strength to win."

[oogiebe]

I don't get it. What could possibly be different here, except it's in Japan.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I don't get it. What could possibly be different here, except it's in Japan.

Brant’s getting paid!!

[oogiebe]

Brant’s getting paid!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

If Brant has that same amount of output (which is all he’s got going for him).. and Murata can’t answer, then Brant can just win win again.

Murata was hyped to the fück before their first fight. Linked with fighting GGG as well.

I remember the first fight thread, there was maybe like 8-9 comments and most of them were me. No one was interested and thought Brant couldn’t lace up Murata’s shoes.

As soon as the fight finished, the thread literally lit up. Haha.

Brant showed in his last fight (can’t rememver who it was), that he’s got the energy to keep up his punch rate throughout 12 rounds. Wasn’t just a one off.

[oogiebe]

If Brant has that same amount of output (which is all he’s got going for him).. and Murata can’t answer, then Brant can just win win again.

Murata was hyped to the fück before their first fight. Linked with fighting GGG as well.

I remember the first fight thread, there was maybe like 8-9 comments and most of them were me. No one was interested and thought Brant couldn’t lace up Murata’s shoes.

As soon as the fight finished, the thread literally lit up. Haha.

Brant showed in his last fight (can’t rememver who it was), that he’s got the energy to keep up his punch rate throughout 12 rounds. Wasn’t just a one off.

Got it. I don't believe I followed that thread at all to be frank. Their first fight was almost a shutout. Murata has like no defense. Guess Ryota was hyped a bit too much.

[littlepug]

I’m rooting for Murata simply because I met him a few months ago and he was a nice guy !

[Ruthless-RKO]

I’m rooting for Murata simply because I met him a few months ago and he was a nice guy !

Well I met Brant and he’s a nice guy too. So I’m rooting for him.

[littlepug]

Well I met Brant and he’s a nice guy too. So I’m rooting for him.

A couple of nice guys then !

[walter5]

https://twitter.com/danrafaelespn/statu ... 0571547648