Ryota Murata, Ex-Boxing Champ, Suggests He Will Retire

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:16 JST, February 22, 2023

Japanese boxer Ryota Murata, a former WBA middleweight champion, suggested Wednesday he will retire, telling the press that the fight against Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan in April last year was “my last match.”

The 37-year-old boxer lost his world champ title in a match against Golovkin that made the Kazakhstani a unified world middleweight champion. This match was selected as the best one for fiscal 2022 by boxing journalists.

Asked about his feelings on the selection, Murata said, “In my mind, that’s my last match. I’m touched to have that match be so well received.”

Although he was not officially declaring his retirement, he expressed his determination to do so, saying, “I’ve just been unable to announce it, but that’s how I’m thinking.”

As to the future, he said, “I think I should just go ahead and do what I can do, as I want to do it.”