Both World Boxing Association middleweight ‘’super’’ champion Ryota Murata of Teiken Boxing Gym and International Boxing Federation middleweight kingpin Gennadiy Gennadyevich Golovkin of Kazakhstan cleared the weigh-ins on Apr. 8 at a hotel in Tokyo for their title unification fight the following day at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Prefecture.

The two tipped the scales at the class limit of 72.5 kg (160 lbs.) on the first attempt, respectively. They also cleared the antigen tests for COVID-19. After doing a customary face-off for about 20 seconds, they put on a smile and did a fist bump.

Teiken gym head Akihiko Honda said, ‘’Murata is in tip-top condition, more so than expected.’’
Since the day fell on the 40th birthday for Golovkin, popularly known as GGG, the organizers of the fight presented him with a bouquet of flowers. The hotel also presented him with a seal on which Golovkin’s name is written along with ‘’yukata’’ summer cotton kimono.

The scheduled 12-rounder was initially planned on Dec. 29 last year, it was cancelled some three weeks before the fight due to the Japanese government’s entry ban on nonresident foreigners, effective from late November to the end of February this year, amid concern over the rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron virus variant across the world.

Golovkin has a record of 41 wins, including 36 KOs, against a loss and a draw, while the 36-year-old Murata has a 16-2 win-loss tally with 13 KOs.