Ryota Murata could be in line for a big fight against one of DAZN’s tentpole middleweights in Canelo Alvarez or Gennadiy Golovkin in 2020.
DAZN’s great appetite for subscribers may net Ryota Murata a big fight against either Gennadiy Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez in 2020.
According to a Yahoo! Japan report, DAZN is pushing for a matchup that pits one of their flagship fighters against the Japanese middleweight star because of stalled subscriber growth in its U.S. market.
The report’s sources also say that DAZN did not have the surge that they expected in Alvarez’s last fight in November, against Sergey Kovalev.
All of which makes both Golovkin and Alvarez realistic possibilities next year for the 33-year-old Murata, perhaps the most active high-profile professional boxer in Japan.
DAZN, which has exclusive rights to Golovkin and Alvarez, also has a relationship with Murata. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist fought for DAZN Japan one time, an upset loss to Rob Brant last year.
DAZN’s stalled growth in the U.S. could be a boon to Ryota Murata in Japan. Murata is pictured celebrating his victory over Steve Butler. AP Photo / Toru Takahashi
Murata is coming off a fifth-round technical knockout of Steven Butler last week. The victory capped a marked turnaround for Murata, who began the year by avenging his loss to Brandt. Afterward, his promoters – Teiken’s Akihiko Honda and Top Rank’s Bob Arum – both expressed their desire to see Murata fight either Golovkin or Alvarez in 2020, ideally before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Yahoo! Japan also reported that Golden Boy executive Roberto Diaz said Murata is definitely on the table for Alvarez. And Canelo said during the DAZN streaming of the Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua rematch in Saudi Arabia that he would consider fighting in Japan.
Should the fight happen, it would most likely take place at 168. An Alvarez-Murata fight at the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome could rival a fight between Alvarez and either Billy Joe Saunders or Callum Smith in England.
Sergiy Derevyanchenko plans to return to the spring, according to promoter Lou DiBella.
Middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko is shooting for a ring return in the spring, according to promoter Lou DiBella.
“We’re looking to come back March or April,” DiBella told Boxing Junkie.
Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) is coming off a vacant title shot against Gennadiy Golovkin in October, dropping a controversial decision. By all accounts, Derevyanchenko raised his stock in the loss. Afterward, his handlers called for an immediate rematch, but Golovkin moved toward fighting one of his mandatories.
Nevertheless, Derevyanchenko should have a few attractive options. He is something of a network free agent. He has fought on DAZN but is managed by Al Haymon, so it’s possible that he could fight on a Premier Boxing Champions card on either Fox or Showtime.
According to Derevyanchenko’s co-manager Keith Connolly, Derevyanchenko has not renewed his promotional contract with DiBella but is open to working with him as long as the right fight is lined up.
Derevyanchenko was recently spotted at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the Jermall Charlo-Dennis Hogan PBC card. Charlo is another possible opponent.
Asked what direction he’d like Derevyanchenko to go, DiBella said the best choices are at DAZN.
“Obviously most of the options are over on DAZN, with the Canelo fight and and ‘Triple G’ rematch,” DiBella said.
DiBella also said Derevyanchenko would have no problem moving up to 168, where the likes of Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith reside.
“Ideally 160,” DiBella said, “but we would move up for the right fight.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had surgery for a broken nose and needed 10 stitches for a cut above his left eye following his loss to Danny Jacobs.
PHOENIX – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. underwent surgery for a fractured nose and needed 10 stitches for a cut above his left eye following his controversial loss to Danny Jacobs on Friday night at Talking Stick Arena.
Chavez is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks, according to members of his camp. He asked for a rematch with Jacobs.
However, any chance at an immediate rematch appeared unlikely after a bout that ended with angry fans tossing debris into the ring in outrage at Chavez’s abrupt decision not to continue after the fifth round.
Jacobs said he wants to move on in a quest to win a super middleweight title.
“I want to fight the biggest in the division,’’ he said. “… There’s Billy Joe Saunders and a lot of other champions.” One of them, Callum Smith, was at ringside Friday.
Jacobs (36-3, 30 KOS), a former middleweight champ, also said he wants a rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin, who beat him in a close decision at 160 pounds.
Chavez (51-4-1, 33 KOs), who was at 172.7 pounds at the weigh-in and appeared to be at least 190 at the opening bell, accused Jacobs of dirty tactics. He said he was injured by headbutts and elbows from Jacobs. However, video shows that Jacobs cut Chavez above the eye with a right hand. Another right hand in the fight appears to break Chavez’s nose.
Chavez’s corner informed the referee Wes Melton and ringside physician Dr. Robin MacDougall that he couldn’t continue because he couldn’t breathe. Apparently, his breathing was restricted by blood from the fractures in the nose. However, MacDougall said he was never got to examine Chavez, who was taken to a Phoenix hospital after the bout.
Canelo Alvarez is relinquishing his light heavyweight title, opening the way for him to fight at 160 or 168 pounds in his next bout, in May.
Canelo Alvarez is relinquishing the light heavyweight title he took from Sergey Kovalev, opening the way for him to fight at middleweight or super-middle in his next bout, expected in May.
Canelo, still the reigning middleweight champion, announced the move Tuesday in a statement released by Golden Boy Promotions.
“I know that my accomplishments in the ring have brought pride to my fans and my country,” said Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs), who scored an 11th-round stoppage of Kovalev on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas. “I have long enjoyed my relationship with the WBO (World Boxing Organization) and appreciate all they do to preserve and enhance the sport of boxing.
“This agreement allows the WBO to have its light heavyweight title contested regularly and allows me to pursue bouts against the best opponents, regardless of weight class.”
The move appears to eliminate any immediate chance of Alvarez fighting Artur Beterbiev, who holds two 175-pound belts. Before and after Canelo’s victory over Kovalev, Beterbiev was mentioned as a possibility. And for now, a fight between Canelo and fellow Mexican Gilberto Ramirez, the WBO’s No. 1 ranked contender at 175 pounds, is also off the board. That matchup would’ve been a big event for Canelo’s expected date celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
However, a third fight with middleweight Gennadiy Golovkin still appears to be an option.
Canelo, who has a win and draw against Golovkin, has said he no longer sees Triple-G as a challenge. However, he has also said he would do a third fight if it made financial sense. It is believed that a third fight would be a big money maker. It’s also doable. Both Canelo and GGG are tied to DAZN.
Canelo, 29, has shown no interest in Demetrius Andrade, a 160-pound belt holder, whom he called “boring.’’ Another possibility is Jermall Charlo, another titleholder.
Demetrius Andrade will defend his 160-pound title against Luke Keeler on Jan. 30 in Miami on DAZN.
None of the top middleweights have been eager to face Demetrius Andrade but Luke Keeler will.
Andrade will defend his 160-pound belt against the fringe contender Jan. 30 on DAZN. Tevin Farmer and Daniel Roman will defend their world titles on the undercard.
Andrade (28-0, 17 KOs) figures to cruise past Keeler (17-2-1, 5 KOs), an Irishman who is 7-0-1 in his last eight fights but has never faced anyone like the man he’ll meet at Meridian at Island Gardens.
Andrade has been lobbying to fight one of the other middleweight titleholders – Canelo Alvarez, Jermall Charlo or Gennady Golvokin – but, thus far, no one has been interested in tangling with the slick southpaw from Rhode Island.
The other featured fights should be more competitive.
Farmer (30-3-1, 6 KOs) is defending his junior lightweight title against capable
fellow southpaw Joseph Diaz Jr. (30-1, 15 KOs). Farmer lost four of his first 12 fights but hasn’t had a setback since 2012. He’s on a roll.
Diaz has won four straight since he lost a wide decision to Gary Russell Jr. in his previous shot at a major title.
Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs) will be defending his two junior featherweight titles against unbeaten former amateur star Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6 KOs), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist from Uzbekistan.
Titleholder Jermall Charlo may be the most talented fighter in the stacked middleweight division. The problem? He has yet to prove it.
OPINION
Titleholder Jermall Charlo may be the most talented fighter in the stacked middleweight division. The problem? He has yet to prove it. And when he takes on Dennis Hogan on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, he won’t be any closer to doing so.
Both fighters made weight today. Charlo weighed in at 159¾ pounds and Hogan, with plenty of room to spare, at 158½ pounds.
Of course, Hogan (28-2-1, 7 knockouts) is a career junior middleweight who is making his debut at the 160-pound limit. That, in a nutshell, should tell you how difficult it has been for Charlo to match up with the top fighters at middleweight; he needed to entice a junior middleweight to step up as an opponent.
Granted, Hogan, an Irishman who resides in Australia, is coming off a controversial loss to Jaime Munguia in a match he appeared to have done enough to win. Hogan’s team immediately pursued a rematch, but Munguia’s brain trust had other ideas. Still, putting forth a convincing effort against a defensively porous fighter like Munguia (perhaps one of the most overrated titleholders in recent memory) is one thing; doing it against a fighter of Charlo’s caliber is an altogether different proposition.
Kevin Hogan (right) probably isn’t the type of opponent who will take Jermall Charlo to the next level. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime
Indeed, a Charlo (29-0, 21 KOs) victory is hardly in doubt, but it’s not clear what it will do for the Houston native’s career. To wit, Charlo’s middleweight run has consisted of Jorge Sebastian Heiland, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matvey Korobov and Brandon Adams. Hardly breathtaking. Aside from the Korobov fight – one in which many observers had Korobov winning – many of Charlo’s fights at middleweight are little more than showcases.
In many ways, Charlo’s predicament bears some comparison to that of Terence Crawford, the welterweight titleholder who currently faces a dearth of quality opponents on his end of the stratified boxing landscape, over at Top Rank/ESPN. Most of the best welterweights fight under the Premier Boxing Champions banner, which does business exclusively with Showtime and Fox. Likewise, the other middleweight titleholders all fight exclusively on DAZN, including Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and Demetrius Andrade, and it’s not clear whether Charlo can ever get those fights. That’s a shame considering Charlo built his name off of one of the most impressive knockouts in the past few years, his fifth round stoppage of Julian Williams, in what was his last fight at junior middleweight.
Surely, though, if the unification matchups are out of reach, there should be better options for Charlo than the likes of Hogan, Adams and Centeno. To that end, hard-hitting British contender Chris Eubank Jr., who fights Korobov on the same card Saturday night, may prove to be an attractive possibility. That fight would be intriguing and it would certainly sell, especially in Eubank’s native England. Moreover, Eubank would offer a far sterner test for Charlo than his recent opponents did. But there is no guarantee that Eubank even gets passed Korobov, a skilled, if somewhat shopworn southpaw who landed a surprising number of left hand leads against Charlo. Eubank has struggled with dexterous boxers in the past, namely Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves.
For Charlo, a Eubank win, at least in the interim, may represent the only meaningful step forward in his career.
Chris Eubank Jr and Matvey Korobov also made weight for their middleweight bout that will top the undercard. Eubank weighed in at 159 1/2 pounds, Korobov at 159.
Also, Marlon Tapales and Ryosuke Iwasa both weighed in at 121 1/2 pounds for their 12-round junior featherweight bout.
Eddy Reynoso, the trainer of Canelo Alvarez, said we’ll learn soon who his fighter will face in May.
Eddy Reynoso, the trainer of Canelo Alvarez, said his fighter’s opponent for May will be announced on Jan. 15, according to BoxingNews24.com. And it won’t be at 175 pounds.
At least four possible opponents are being considered, the website reported. In his last fight, Alvarez moved up to 175 pounds and stopped Sergey Kovalev to win a light heavyweight title on Nov. 2.
“There are a lot of names,” Reynoso said. “The (Gennadiy) Golovkin trilogy, Callum Smith, John Ryder, Billy Joe Saunders. “We have five months until the date we have in May for when Canelo always fights in.
“There’s plenty of time for Canelo to go back down to 160 or 168. That’s not a problem for us. Right now, we’re going to give it to DAZN to see what’s available to us out there. We plan on making an announcement for the fight in May for Canelo on January 15, after the New Year.”
Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 knockouts) has said repeatedly that he’s not excited about the prospect of facing Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) a third time, saying in effect “that’s finished business” after they drew in 2017 and Alvarez won the rematch on points last year.
However, it’s a fight the fans would embrace. And Alvarez also has said, “if it represents (good) business, why not?”
Golovkin, who won a vacant middleweight title by outpointing tough Sergiy Derevyanchenko in October, is tentatively scheduled to face mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta in February.
That means a January announcement might be too late for Golovkin, who presumably would jump at the chance to fight Alvarez one more time but might not wait around for the opportunity.
Smith, a 168-pound titleholder, is coming off a so-so performance against a surprisingly tough Ryder but won by a unanimous decision on Nov. 23. The Englishman is an attractive opponent because he holds the WBA super middleweight title.
Reynoso told BoxingNews24.com that Alvarez has not given up his WBA “regular” 168-pound title, contrary to some reports. Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize that belt.
Ryder (28-5, 16 KOs) presumably is in the picture because of his inspired performance against Smith (27-0, 19 KOs). Some believe the relatively unknown Londoner did enough to win the fight.
And Billy Joe Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs), another 168-pound titleholder from England, also is coming off a mediocre performance. He stopped Marcelo Coceres in the 11th round but struggled up until that point on Nov. 9.
There is a lot to be grateful for in boxing. Here are five things that make me feel fortunate on Thanksgiving.
We all have a lot to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving. Here are five things in the boxing world that make me feel fortunate.
A heavyweight who can knock out a Tyrannosaurus rex. I can understand where the purists are coming from. Deontay Wilder doesn’t have the sublime skill set that normally separates the great fighters from the rest. All I know is how I feel when Wilder lands those bombs to end his fights instantly. There is nothing like it in sports. I’m going to enjoy him as long as he’s around.
The spirit of the underdog. The oddsmakers generally know what they’re doing when they make one fighter a favorite – sometimes a prohibitive favorite – over another fighter. Thank goodness not every underdog buys into the prevailing wisdom. I think we’re all inspired by the fighters who overcome the odds, the “Rockys,” if you will. I’m thinking of you Andy Ruiz Jr. and Julian Williams.
The talent at the top: Non-fans ask me occasionally, “What happened to boxing? Where are the great fighters?” They’re there. Uber-talents like Vassiliy Lomachenko, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk, Gennadiy Golovkin, Errol Spence, et al would’ve been successful in any era and are a joy to watch. I just wish more sports fans were aware of that.
An abundance of dates. The dying sport certainly produces a lot of shows, both on television and streaming services. ESPN, ESPN+, Fox, Showtime, DAZN and others have made major investments in the sport. And the quality of the cards has generally been very good. If we could only keep MMA fighters and YouTubers out of the picture.
The fighters themselves. They will always be what I’m most grateful for. These young (sometimes not-so-young) men and women risk their very well being to pursue their dreams and entertain us every time they step through the ropes. From the superstars to the journeymen, they need to know that we appreciate them and what they do. I’ll always admire them.
Jaime Munguia will move up a division to face middleweight Gary O’Sullivan in a 12-round bout at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Jan. 11.
After five successful defenses of his junior middleweight title, Mexican slugger Jaime Munguia is moving up a division.
The 23-year-old makes his middleweight debut against Irish veteran Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan in a 12-rounder on Jan. 11 at the Alamodome in San Antonio on DAZN, Golden Boy Promotions has announced.
“I feel very happy to be starting the year 2020 with a great fight at a great place like San Antonio, Texas,” Munguia said.”I have fought in Houston, Texas before, where the people there treated me very well. I think that San Antonio won’t be any different.”
Munguia burst onto the scene last year when he appeared from nowhere to poleaxe Sadam Ali to win the WBO junior middleweight belt. He went on to defend it successfully against Liam Smith, Brandon Cook, Takeshi Inoue, Dennis Hogan and most recently Patrick Allotey. With each subsequent fight, however, Munguia, who sports a hulkish build, found it increasingly onerous to make the 154-pound limit.
“We’re going to deliver a great fight against a tough fighter in Gary O’Sullivan,” Munguia said. “He’s great and he’s strong, but we’re going to come very well prepared. We plan to do an excellent job and make it very clear who is the best in the ring.”
Munguia (34-0, 27 knockouts) joins a packed middleweight crew, which includes stablemate and countryman Canelo Alvarez (who may or may not return to that division after moving up to light heavyweight recently), as well as titleholders Gennadiy Golovkin, Jermall Charlo, and Demetrius Andrade.
The 35-year-old O’Sullivan ( 30-3, 21 KOs) reeled off consecutive wins since getting starched by David Lemieux last year. O’Sullivan made a name for himself when he wiped out once highly regarded prospect Antoine Douglas back in 2017.
“For me it’s a dream come true to fight the undefeated champion of the world and the No. 1-ranked fighter in the world,” O’Sullivan said. “It makes it even better that he’s Mexican. I grew up watching the great Mexican champions, and to get the opportunity to fight Jaime is an honor.”
Daniel Dubois faces Kyotaro Fujimoto on December 21 at the Copper Box Arena in London. Fujimoto struggled twice against a career 160-pounder.
OPINION
Call it a Frank Warren special.
Rising British heavyweight Daniel Dubois – and one of Warren’s most vital promotional assets – is set to face Tokyo’s Kyotaro Fujimoto on December 21 at the Copper Box arena in London. It will be Dubois’ fifth fight of the year, highlighted by his solid knockout win over domestic rival Nathan Gorman in the summer. It’s clear, however, that when it comes to charting out Dubois’ promotional future, he will be led along the path of least resistance.
In his last fight, Dubois (13-0, 12 knockouts) snuffed out Ebenezer Tetteh in one woebegone round. Sure, Tetteh was undefeated, but if you look closely, his record was built on the backs of undistinguished middleweights and light heavyweights in his native Ghana. Middleweights. Yes, you read that correctly.
Enter Fujimoto.
The 33-year-old may not have a record as visibly padded as Tetteh’s, but like the Ghanian, he has at least one instance of fighting a career middleweight, Nobuhiro Ishida. Remember that name? Ishida was the middleweight who scored a stunning knockout of a prime James Kirkland in 2011. His name would come up again later in 2013 under different circumstances, when then trailblazing Gennadiy Golovkin starched him inside three rounds.
How can Daniel Dubois grow as a fighter against pushovers? Julian Finney / Getty Images
For some strange reason, Ishida decided to move up to heavyweight and took on Fujimoto – and it was competitive! Though Ishida dropped a unanimous decision, he gave Fujimoto enough of a fit to call for a rematch, which Fujimoto would win by a split decision.
Anyway, this is who Dubois will be fighting, and while it’s to be commended that he is staying active, it’s not clear how he will improve against dramatically inferior opponents. Of course, anything can happen in the ring, as just about every promoter in the game will tell you to justify his self-interested motives.
It seems the fight has already become something of a joke. In a strange twist during a press conference to announce it, Fujimoto brought in a sparring partner dressed as a panda and began comparing himself to Rocky Balboa.
“He thinks he’s going to be Rocky Balboa? If he starts getting hit with the type of shots Rocky got hit with in the films, then it’s going to be a short night,” Dubois said.
