Gennadiy Golovkin has business to tend to, but Canelo Alvarez remains the goal – Yahoo Sports

Title unifications are always a great thing in boxing, but Saturdays bout in Saitama, Japan, between IBF champion Gennadiy Golovkin and WBA champion Ryoto Murata doesnt have the same feel that a huge fight usually delivers.

Its because Murata is a weak champion who only has a belt because at one point the WBA was seemingly giving them to everyone.

Murata is 16-2 with losses to Rob Brant and Hassan NDam, good boxers but nowhere near the level of Golovkin.

Murata represents the latest in a string of less-than-stellar opponents for Golovkin, who for years was viewed as the most-avoided man in boxing.

Since his rematch with Canelo Alvarez in 2018, Golovkin has fought Steve Rolls, Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Kamil Szeremeta. Derevyanchenko was by far the best of that group, and he was best known for his performance in a loss. Golovkin was badly ill on the night he fought Derevyanchenko but still won a solid decision.

Saturdays bout is another in a string of less-than-optimal Golovkin opponents, though it is a big fight in Japan. Thats because Golovkin, who turns 39 on Thursday, is still a huge name in the sport.

Golovkin conceded his opposition hasnt been what hed hoped it would be.

It is a good question, indeed, and I don't want to blame anybody, don't get me wrong, he said. But trust me, I still want to box. I still want to challenge top fighters. I still want to be active. But as you obviously know, I signed with DAZN. And this is how they see the development of my career. This is how they see, how they approach the business of boxing.

Gennadiy Golovkin has to win Saturday to earn a third fight with Canelo Alvarez. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

What the bosses at DAZN clearly hope is that Golovkin batters Murata, Alvarez defeats Dmitriy Bivol on May 7, and they can meet later in the year in the third renewal of their rivalry. Both of the first two bouts were extraordinarily close, with the first a draw and Alvarez winning the second.

Since defeating Golovkin, Alvarez has risen to become the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. He won the undisputed super middleweight title and will bid for a light heavyweight belt against Bivol.

Story continues

More importantly from a business standpoint, Alvarez has collected a series of massive paydays. While Golovkin isnt hanging out with a cup on the side of the road seeking donations, he hasnt made a fraction of what Alvarez has made since winning their second fight.

If it bothers Golovkin, though, hes doing a good job of hiding it. In fact, he predicted it would happen before the rematch.

First of all, I never count other peoples money, Golovkin said. I was not brought up this way. And secondly, around the time when those two fights happened, I said that whoever wins those fights will get an amazing opportunity that will probably be unattainable for other fighters.

Because at the time, if you look at who was at the third position, fourth, fifth, they could not be compared. So, those two fighters, me and him, we were at the top. And the result of those fights opened up the future for the fighter who prevailed.

Golovkin was brilliant against Szeremeta, working the body in a brutally efficient manner. He stopped the Polish mandatory challenger in the seventh round after dropping him four times.

It hearkened back to the days of GGG and his Mexican style approach he learned from former trainer Abel Sanchez. He parted ways with Sanchez in 2019 and has worked with Johnathon Banks since.

Banks hasnt changed what hes done, Golovkin said, but added to it and given him more tools.

I personally believe that I got better, Golovkin said. I became a more versatile fighter. I expanded my arsenal. And of course, with age, you try different approaches based on your abilities, based on what you can do at this particular moment. And you also have to take into consideration the fact that I have a different team right now, with a different philosophy. And we're trying out new things.

Hes going to need everything he can to get past Alvarez, who is hitting his peak and is in his prime now.

Golovkin isnt concerned about that now, though, both because hes spent 24 rounds in a ring with Alvarez and knows what to expect and because he needs to take care of Murata to make a third Alvarez fight a reality.

Murata hasnt had anything close to what could be considered a signature win, which a win over GGG would represent. They sparred together briefly years ago and so Golovkin is familiar with him.

He knows hell get the best of whatever Murata has on that night, because it will be the biggest night of Muratas career. Golovkin insists hes ready.

You correctly pointed out that, in my opinion, he has not had a chance to face a fighter of my level or to see the boxing that Im going to demonstrate, Golovkin said. At the same time, I dont want to diminish his wins. I dont want to say anything bad about the guys over whom he prevailed. And the fact that in his rematches, he avenged both losses, it says a lot.

In his interview, he said that a fight against me would be the pinnacle of his career. He trained for this fight very seriously. And we also know each other personally. We even sparred at some point during the training camp, some time ago. So Im ready for this.

See more here:

Gennadiy Golovkin has business to tend to, but Canelo Alvarez remains the goal - Yahoo Sports