Golovkin needs to KO Murata to sell Canelo trilogy says Tony Bellew

By Boxing News - 04/06/2022 - Comments

By John Tornay: Tony Bellew believes Gennadiy Golovkin needs a knockout of Ryota Murata this Saturday night (live on DAZN at 5 am ET) for a trilogy match against Canelo Alvarez to sell in September on DAZN PPV. Golovkin is expected to beat Murata, but a knockout isn’t a sure thing.

If Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) fails to KO Murata, he can forget about the Canelo third fight, according to Bellew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDwqsu0P770

The Canelo vs. Golovkin fight will still likely go ahead in September, even if GGG fails to stop Murata, but it won’t bring in the big numbers.

For the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy match to bring in massive numbers, fans need to believe the Kazahstan fighter has a chance of winning.

If he struggles to beats Murata as he did in his win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, fans won’t purchase it in huge numbers.

This isn’t the type of opponent that Golovkin will be able to easily knock out or look good against. Murata has a good chin, hits hard, and will be a problem for Golovkin.

It’s not ideal that IBF middleweight champion Golovkin is coming off a year and a half break from his last fight in December 2020 against Kamil Szeremeta, and he didn’t look good in that bout.

At this point, Bellew believes the 40-year-old Golovkin is only sticking around in boxing now for the “cash-out” against Canelo Alvarez. Bellew thinks the sole reason Golovkin is still in boxing at his age is for the cash-out fight.

Some would argue that Golovkin hasn’t taken a risky fight for the last four years so that he wouldn’t blow his chance for the cash-out against Canelo.

Although Golovkin has fought one good opponent in Sergiy Derevyanchenko in the last three years, the other two guys he fought, Steve Rolls and Kamil Szeremeta left a lot to be desired.

Bellew: GGG needs a knockout to get Canelo trilogy

“Within a shadow of a doubt, we need a GGG knockout, something dramatic,” said Tony Bellew to the DAZN Boxing Show when asked what does Golovkin need to do against Murata to create interest in a trilogy match against Canelo in September.

“Big drama show, that’s what we need. If he doesn’t knock Murata out, say goodbye to the Canelo trilogy. Without a doubt, since Mayweather,” Bellew said about GGG having given Canelo his hardest fight in recent years.

“We haven’t seen Golovkin in the ring since December 2020, that being a win over Kamil Szeremeta. Murata, we haven’t seen since 2019,” said Ade Oladipo. “A bit of ring rust, it’s fair to say for both men.”

“A bit of ring rust? I think you’re doing a big disservice, you really are,” said Bellew about the ring rust on Golovkin and Murata. “These two need a bucket of WD40 before they get in the ring because this is insane.

“They’ve been out of the ring for so long. It’s not good for the fighter’s health, it’s not good for the fighter’s timing and sharpness. I was worried watching GGG. I seen signs of aging against Derevyanchenko.

“In his last fight out [against Kamil Szeremeta], he didn’t look his best. So, if it’s anything to go by watching them do, it could be a halfway decent fight,” said Bellew.

Golovkin should have fought at least six times at the minimum in the last four years rather than just three times. He’s not been active enough to stay sharp, and main in the public eye.

When Golovkin has fought, he’s taken softer opposition in Steve Rolls, Kamil Szeremeta and Derevyanchenko.

GGG should destroy Murata

“Murata, a really established amateur hasn’t done anything in the pros to show that he can defeat GGG, and I don’t expect him to. If GGG is anything remotely of what he was in the Canelo fights, he blasts Murata, he really does,” said Bellew.

“He should, I agree with you,” said Ade about his view that Golovkin should destroy Murata. “Both of these guys out of the ring for so long, it’s going to be interesting to see how slow they start. It’s going to take them a couple of rounds to get going.

“This fight was supposed to take place in January, but it got delayed because of the COVID situation in Japan. Hence, it’s happening a bit later, but not too much later now.

“Going back to GGG by the time this fight rolls around, which is crazy, GGG now 40. At this age, is it better to have longer gaps out of the ring or is it better to be active?

“He took a beating in the Derevyanchenko fight. He took a while out, then got in the ring against Szeremeta, and as you say, he didn’t look his best. Should you take a little longer out of the ring at this age or should you be more active?”

“I actually think you need to be more active,” said Bellew. “As you’re aging, your body reacts differently to the breaks. You don’t want to rest for too long because it’s so hard to get back into the rhythm of things.

“It’s so hard to get the weight off. The minute you hit 30, your body changes. I speak from experience. It’s not easy making weight anymore because of the issues and the problems.

“It sounds harsh but GGG is now in this for the money,” said Bellew. “I think he’s looking to cash out. I’m not surprised that he’s still going at 40.

“I do think he’s an amazing fighter and I do think he knocks out an awful lot of middleweights and super middleweights, but I just believe his reasons for fighting are much different than it was five years ago,” said Bellew.

“Yeah, look, GGG was the boogeyman five years ago,” said Ade. “GGG between 2012 and 2018, forget it. I don’t care what anyone says. No one wanted that smoke in between those years where he was just literally poleaxing people.

“I remember him beating David Lemieux with a jab. He just used a jab to beat David Lemieux, he was phenomenal. I guess we’re going to find out on Saturday when he has left. The carrot that’s being dangled in front of him is the Canelo fight.

“In order to sell that fight, Canelo is looking special right now. GGG is going to have to go up in weight. He’s going to be 40-years-old by the time the fight rolls around.

“Is a win enough or does he have to look special getting the win so that we can get excited about a Canelo trilogy? Obviously, provided Canelo gets past Dmitry Bivol,” said Ade.

“It’s going to be awkward to sell it. Right now, I’d like to see it again because I personally thought Canelo lost the first fight. I thought GGG won that first fight. The second fight was close.

“So he’s given Canelo the hardest competition in the last ten years since Floyd beat him,” Ade said about Golovkin. “So for me, he deserves that trilogy fight, but he’s got to look good. I got to believe GGG can go in there and win.

“I thought that in the first two fights [with Canelo], but right now, there’s a big question mark. I can’t wait to see GGG back. As you mentioned, big drama show. He’s delivered on that promise as well,” said Ade.

YouTube video