Mike Coppinger has reported how former two-time WBA middleweight champion Ryota Murata has made the decision to hang up the gloves and retire. The 37 year old, a big, big star in his home country of Japan, was last in action in April of last year, this when he lost to Gennady Golovkin in a middleweight unification showdown in Saitama.
Murata, who won the WBA belt at the second time of asking, having lost a hugely controversial split decision to Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam before stopping him in the return, then lost the belt to Rob Brant before avenging that loss to become a two-time champ. Following that win, Murata stopped Steven Butler before going into the biggest fight of his career, this the one with GGG.
“Inside my head I’m thinking, ‘that was my last.’ I just haven’t been able to announce it (until now), but that’s how I’m thinking personally,” Murata said regarding his retirement from the sport.
It could be that Murata is very much in two minds, that he may very well change his mind in the near future and decide that he wants to fight again. But if not, Murata goes out knowing he fired his bullets in some exciting fights that sent his fans home happy. An Olympic gold medal winner in 2012, Murata had a good career, maybe not a great career, but a good career.
16-3(13) at the moment, Murata leaves the sport with his health and hopefully with his money and with a feeling of satisfaction. Not every fighter can be a Hall of Famer, but Murata made his mark on the sport nonetheless, this while fighting in one of the traditional, historic weight divisions. Murata was stopped just the one time, this by Triple G.
Let’s hope Murata enjoys his retirement years. If he actually sticks to it, that is. Of course, Murata would not be the first boxer to have only a short-lived retirement, this before the all-powerful boxing drug pulls him back in.
