GENNADY GOLOVKIN will fight Ryota Murata in Japan on April 9 – with a trilogy against Canelo Alvarez to follow.
The Kazakh was set to face Murata in a middleweight unification in December but it was scrapped amid coronavirus restrictions.
Gennady Golovkin will fight Ryota Murata in Japan on April 9 Credit: @gggboxing
Ryota Murata will fight Gennady Golovkin in a middleweight unification Credit: Getty Now the pair will fight next month back in Saitama where the IBF and WBA titles will be unified.
Golovkin, 39, said: “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. “
“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.”
Murata, 36, has held the WBA title since 2019 but welcoming GGG to the Far East will be the biggest fight of his career.
.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}
.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}
.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}
.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Boxing
.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}
.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}
.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
He said: “It is an honour to share the ring with the great champion Gennadiy Golovkin.
“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.”
Canelo, 31, who drew with GGG in 2017 but won the rematch a year later, has recently signed a two-fight deal with DAZN.
He returns on May 7 to challenge Dmitry Bivol, 31, for the WBA light-heavyweight title.
But a trilogy bout with Golovkin is set to follow in September, if the pair win their interim fights.
Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin are set for a trilogy bout this year Credit: Getty Images – Getty Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
