Undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin will not face off on Cinco de Mayo this year in Las Vegas due to prior commitments concerning the challenger.
WBN first reported after Canelo vs. Caleb Plant that Golovkin was in the frame for a May 7th date in Nevada. However, GGG has now committed to a previous fight that World Boxing News broke.
Golovkin will instead tackle Ryota Murata in a money-spinning Japanese clash that will earn the Kazakh puncher a tidy sum.
“Happy to be back at training camp and to see my team. I hope that a date for the unification fight with Ryota Murata rescheduled for early April will be announced soon.
“I’m looking forward to traveling to Japan and to more BIG things in 2022,” said Golovkin.
Happy to be back at training camp and to see my team. Hope that a date for the unification fight with Ryota Murata rescheduled for early April will be announced soon. I'm looking forward to traveling to Japan and to more BIG things in 2022 ???????? pic.twitter.com/iAEo1wUhmJ
— Gennadiy Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) February 16, 2022
UNDISPUTED
The move also means the prospect of a Canelo vs. GGG saga-ending encounter for all the title belts goes up in the air.
Canelo is due to have mandatory obligations very soon. The Mexican may now have to ask for an exception to delay those stipulations until after meeting Golovkin again, possibly in September.
The only other alternative would be for Canelo to take a mandatory first this spring. He then frees up a 168-pound voluntary bout against Golovkin.
Golovkin is currently the IBF middleweight champion and hunting another belt against WBA ruler Murata. Victory this spring would see ratification a certainly for a challenge at the higher limit.
Golovkin is a massive name in the sport of boxing. It’s just a shame the pair stand unable to conclude their trilogy earlier.
Turning 40 around the time of the Murata fight, Golovkin will be another five months older when he eventually trades blows with his career nemesis.
September seems the destined date if Canelo agrees as both previous fights in 2017 and 2018 took place that month due to unforeseen circumstances.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
