"I think that Ryota Murata, on home ground, could pull off an upset [against Gennadiy Golovkin]. In which case I'd love nothing more than for Murata to fight Eubank Jr"; Promoter Bob Arum could bring Japan's WBA champion to UK
Friday 29 October 2021 19:06, UK
Chris Eubank Jr's ambition to tee up a major fight with Gennadiy Golovkin could be spoiled by Ryota Murata, promoter Bob Arum has warned.
Eubank Jr plans to return in December, with Liam Williams set to be offered the chance to fight him, while Kazakh star Golovkin has already been contacted about a huge clash next year.
IBF middleweight champion Golovkin is first planning a title unification fight with WBA champ Murata in Japan at the end of this year.
Top Rank's Arum, who promotes Murata, told Sky Sports: "We are working very, very hard to put that fight together at the end of the year. We hope that the quarantine will have eased in Japan.
"We are not only fighting to raise the money for the fight, but we are fighting the pandemic too.
"It's a good fight. Murata is a gold medallist from the Olympics and is really coming along.
"Golovkin, for all his great success, is slipping as he gets older. So it's a competitive fight."
Feted knockout artist Golovkin has lost just once in 43 fights, a controversial points defeat to his great rival Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, but he is now 39.
Talks to pit Eubank Jr against Golovkin have started, according to BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom, who previously told Sky Sports: "Contact has been made with Golovkin's team and talks are progressing.
"They want the fight with Eubank Jr and we're looking at a May date."
Arum reacted: "If GGG is successful, I'm sure that the Eubank Jr fight is very attractive to him.
"But I think that Murata, on home ground, could pull off an upset.
"In which case I'd love nothing more than for Murata to fight Eubank Jr. It would be a big fight in the US, Japan and the UK."
Eubank Jr has previously told Sky Sports he would be confident of pulling off victory over Golovkin, saying: "I'm the most exciting fighter in the weight division. I'm the fighter that the fans want to see in with these guys, so it has to happen.
"I've been visualising it for years and I know how to beat him. I've just got to get the opportunity and it's coming.
"The styles that me and him have, it can't be anything short of an epic war.
"He doesn't know how to fight going backwards and I don't know how to stop throwing punches.
"You put those two styles together and you're in for a legendary boxing match."
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February 26 - Top Rank in Glasgow
Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall - undisputed super-lightweight title
