Former WBA Middleweight champion Ryota Murata has retired from professional boxing after a decade in the sport. The announcement came on Wednesday, and while it was unexpected given his huge fan base and popularity, the 37-year-old Olympic gold medalist decided to walk away from the ring while still at the top of his career.
Murata’s departure has come as a surprise, especially since he and Naoya Inoue are considered the two most popular fighters in Japan. However, he didn’t formally announce his retirement, leaving the possibility of his return if the right fight comes along.
In his last bout, Murata lost his WBA ‘regular’ middleweight belt to IBF champion Gennadiy Golovkin in April 2022. Despite giving Golovkin a tough fight for the first five rounds and making him look bad with his body punching, Murata was caught with a big shot in the sixth and couldn’t recover from it.
Despite his loss to Golovkin, Murata’s performance showed that he still had massive power and would have given then-WBO champion Demetrius Andrade and WBC champ Jermall Charlo significant problems.
It is unknown how much money Murata made in his career, but he is likely to have made enough to retire. The Japanese boxer has not revealed his plans for life after boxing, and it would be interesting to know if he will continue to be involved in the sport in any capacity.
Promoted by Top Rank, Murata was moved quickly after turning professional in 2013. After four years, he fought for a world title for the first time, losing to Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam by a controversial 12 round split decision in May 2017 in Tokyo. In the rematch five months later, Murata stopped N’Dam in the seventh round to capture the WBA 160-lb title.
Murata lost his WBA title to Rob Brant by a 12 round unanimous decision in their first fight in October 2018. However, he looked like a different fighter in the rematch, throwing sustained combinations to stop Brant in the second round in July 2019. Murata’s ability to stick to his team’s game plan made the difference in that fight, and it worked to perfection.
Ryota Murata has decided to retire from professional boxing, leaving a remarkable career behind. Despite his retirement, his fans will always remember him as a fierce competitor and a true champion.
