International Boxing Federation and new World Boxing Association middleweight ‘’super’’ champion Gennadiy Gennadyevich Golovkin of Kazakhstan told reporters after his title unification fight with Ryota Murata of Teiken Boxing Gym on Apr. 9 in Saitama Prefecture that ‘’It was a tough fight. We both fought just barely.

’’Golovkin, better known as GGG, stopped Murata in the ninth round of the scheduled 12-rounder at Saitama Super Arena after exchanging fierce blows.

He said, ‘’I was peering round to check him. I was able to find my right fighting distance when my punches began to reach him as the fight went by. That was the bottom line.’’
Having said that, Golovkin, 40, added, ‘’While it is on both of us, I hope Mr. Murata, 36, will recover quickly.

Asked about the fact that he presented his own gown to Murata after the fight, soft-spoken Golovkin replied, ‘’That was our ethnic costume called chapan. It is customary for us to present chapan to a person one respects most. I presented that to Mr. Murata by showing my respect.’’

This was the first time for GGG to have presented his gown to his opponent, according to his fight promoter Tom Loeffler.

About his possible third title fight with unified world super middleweight champion Saul ‘’Canelo’’ Alvarez of Mexico, Golovkin said, ‘’There is every possibility. But I will wait and see until the end of this May.’’

While Golovkin has a record of 42 wins, including 37 KOs, against a loss and a draw, that loss and draw were fights with Alvarez (in September 2017 and September 2018).