Ryan Hafey
Boxing News rounded up on Leo Santa Cruz, Josh Taylor, and Gennadiy Golovkin courtesy of the World Boxing Association notice board.
In another step of the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) world title reduction plan, the WBA Championships Committee ordered the bout between Featherweight Super Champion Leo Santa Cruz and champion Leigh Wood.
The goal is to have only one champion at 126 pounds, and the winner of this bout will keep this distinction. Santa Cruz is the super champion of the category and reappeared in February when he defeated Keenan Carbajal in Las Vegas.
The Mexican must now face Wood, who comes from defending his championship against Michael Conlan last March 12 in Nottingham.
Both teams will have 30 days to negotiate the bout from the moment the communication was sent to them on Wednesday, April 6.
If they do not reach an agreement or any of the parties refuses to close the negotiation, the WBA Championships Committee may open the bout to purse bid according to its rules.
JOSH TAYLOR
The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee sent a reminder to the teams of super lightweight champion Josh Taylor and his mandatory challenger, Alberto Puello, that on Thursday, April 7, the negotiation period for their fight expires.
Last March 8, the WBA ordered the fight between the Scottish and the Dominican. They granted a period of 30 days to reach an agreement, as provided by rule C.13, Fighting Limitations.
Once the time is up, the committee may order an auction for the fight.
On Wednesday, the pioneer body sent a statement to both parties. They are requesting a response about the negotiations. It explains the possibility of calling for a purse bid after the deadline.
Taylor must face Puello in his next defense as the Dominican is the WBA’s top-ranked fighter and was the interim champion at the time of the start of the world title reduction plan.
BOXING NEWS GGG
The fight between Gennady Golovkin and Ryota Murata has mixed opinions among boxing experts. This Saturday, the Kazakh will have a big test in the unification fight against the World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight champion at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
The trend is divided among those who say that the power of “GGG,” IBF champion, will be too much for Murata. Also, those who say that his 40 years of age will weigh against the local fighter.
Golovkin comes in on a three-fight winning streak after suffering the only loss of his career to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September 2018. Since then, he has defeated Steve Rolls, Sergiy Derevyachenko, and Kamil Zseremeta.
He has not looked at his best, especially against Derevyachenko. He had to battle to win the fight, from that string of fights comes to the doubts of some skeptics who believe the veteran could be surprised by Murata.
However, the Kazakhstan native’s immense punching power remains. His accuracy remains. He has proven to be a disciplined, hard-working athlete, as evidenced by the extraordinary physical shape he has been in since arriving in Japan this week.
Golovkin wants to remind the world what he is capable of and that his devastating pace is still there. Fighting as a visitor is a minor consideration for a fighter who has won in many countries worldwide and who does not shrink on any stage. All that’s left is to remind the skeptics that his name and class carry weight.
MURATA
Ups and downs have characterized Ryota Murata’s career. However, the super middleweight champion has always shown his quality in the ring, and this Saturday, he will live one of the biggest challenges of his career.
The Japanese will have a great opportunity when he steps into the ring at the Saitama Super Arena to face Gennady Golovkin.
The first point in his favor is that he will be in front of his home crowd. Another important aspect is the quality of the opponent he will face so that a victory would mean a lot for his career.
Murata has always shown excellent control of the ring, good use of distance, and a fearsome punch. Tools that he has been able to take advantage of in most of his fights.
However, he had had some bad moments, such as when he lost to Rob Murata in the US and could not show his best in that fight. But in the 2019 rematch, he finished the American in just three rounds, which was a demonstration of his resilience.
The Japanese have been waiting for this big unification fight and want to show his best version, which will allow him to make a final leap. But first, he will have to beat a living legend of the sport.
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