IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin 41-1-1 (36) is disappointed his fight against WBA boss Ryota Murata 16-2 (13) has been postponed but insists retirement is not on the cards.
Golovkin, who will turn 40 in April, was scheduled to face Murata in Saitama, Japan on December 29 before Japan decided to shut their borders due to the emergence on Omicron variant of Covid-19.
The plan now is to reschedule the fight in the first quarter of 2022.
“I am deeply disappointed that this fight has been postponed,” Golovkin said. “But the health and safety of the public must always be the priority. I look forward to returning to the ring against Ryota as soon as possible.”
Golovkin has been out of the ring for a year following his easy seventh-round stoppage of overmatched Kamil Szeremeta at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida last December.
But the Kazakh bomber says he doesn’t expect ring rust to be a factor when he finally returns to the ring.
“I’ll be looking closely at myself,” Golovkin said to The Sun.
“I’m extremely fit right now, I feel great and of course all my career decisions will be based on how I feel. Currently, I feel great.”
“All my decisions will be regarded as the right decision by me, whether I want to continue and take part in a fight.
“I will regard that as the right decision, if I want to conclude my career, that will also be the right decision.
“I am comfortable right now with how my career is progressing and what’s happening and I’m sure whatever I do, will be right for me.”
It should be noted that Murata has not fought since December last year either, when he stopped Steven Butler in five frames at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.
Golovkin went on to explain the reason he preferred to travel away to training camp and the difficulties that went with it.
“It’s just a way for me to get away from my family and concentrate on the training process, as I have a large family at home,” he said.
“It’s somewhat distracting, to be honest! Of course there are certain details and nuances, we approach each opponent a little bit differently.
“Although there is a foundation of training which is always a part of the camp.”
Golovkin claimed the WBA middleweight title from Australian Daniel Geale in July 2014 and picked up various other world titles leading up to his first fight against Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September 2017 that ended in a disputed split draw.
Their rematch one year later ended in a majority decision loss for Golovkin, who has won three fights since including a 12-round points decision over Sergiy Derevyanchenko to regain the IBF 160-pound strap.
