Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Ryota Murata postponed due to Japanese COVID-19 travel restrictions

When Japan announced a temporary ban on travel to the country in the wake of the COVID-19 omicron variant, it seemed only a matter of time before Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryoto Murata’s elimination of the middleweight championship reunion fight scheduled for December 29. data. The delay was made official on Thursday night and developers hope to reschedule the fight for 2022.

Golovkin confirmed the news, tweet, “I am deeply saddened that the Japanese fight has been delayed but the health and safety of the public must always be a priority. I hope to return to the ring against Ryōta as soon as possible.”

The delay means that 2021 is officially the first natural year that Golovkin has not fought since becoming a professional in 2006. The IBF middleweight champion also fought only once in 2020, when he defeated Kamil Szeremeta after Szeremeta did not come out of his corner after the seventh. rounded.

Golovkin will turn 40 in 2022 and the clock is ticking with Canelo Alvarez ahead of his third fight. Alvarez has combined the four world titles recognized in the superweight class and plans to move on to the weight of the cruise, trying to win the world title in another weight class. With Golovkin’s delayed fight, fans may never see the trilogy unfold.

Murata has also seen its route halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. After fighting twice in 2019, winning his second WBA title for the second time in his career and rising to the rankings of world champion, Murata did not fight in 2020 or 2021.

There is no news of a planned rescheduling date for the fight, but plans to fight in Japan mean that COVID’s status and travel will need to be monitored until a new date can be safely set.