GGG vs. Murata, Garcia vs. Tagoe: Primetime boxing is back as fight fans get a jammed packed weekend with a legend and a phenom filling the bill. This weekend of fights kickoff one of the best stretches of fights, possibly ever!
-589 KAZ | Gennady Golovkin (41-1-1: 36 KOs) 5’10” – 70-inch reach – 40 y/o:
Faced and Beat Elite Competition, One of The Best Jabs in Boxing, Silver Medalist ‘04 Olympics
+390 JPN | Ryōta Murata (16-2: 13 KOs) 6’0” – 75-inch reach – 36 y/o:
Gold Medalist ‘12 Olympics, Long Reach Advantage, Has Never Been Finished in Career
WHO WILL WIN? With three of the five Middleweight titles on the line tomorrow night, the stakes will be high as Olympic Gold medalist Ryōta Murata tests himself against one of boxing’s all-time greats in Gennady Golovkin who looks to continue to build his incredible resume with another masterful performance. Golovkin will no doubt lay heavy jabs early and often on the body and face of Murata until the Japanese fighter finds himself in an early hole and faced with trying to swing for the fences against a boxing matador. I wouldn’t count out Murata as he showed extreme character following a loss by bouncing back to get the knockout in the immediate rematch. Plus, fighting GGG in front of a home crowd will give him some extra juice. With all that being said, it’s Golovkin for crying out loud, an ultimate professional, and he will absolutely not be thrown off by any outside variable. Golovkin to Win.
FIGHT GOES THE DISTANCE? +145 YES, -185 NO: This is a tricky line. Because as previously mentioned, Murata has all the motivation in the world to put together the best performance of his career. Both men are not shy when it comes to laying some heavy offense on their opponents, but Golovkin is much more seasoned and calculated in his offensive approach. And while I enjoy Murata’s marauding style of boxing, it’s highly-unlikely for the Japanese fighter to leave the Saitama Super Arena with his hand raised. Golovkin is much too patient and methodical in his approach to be lured into a phone booth fight. But, I have a strong feeling that Murata will make it to the final bell by hitting another gear and remain unfinished in his career. Fight Goes The Distance.
-1600 USA | Ryan Garcia (21-0: 18 KOs) 5’10” – 70-inch reach – 23 y/o:
A True Phenom, Quick Reflexes and Hand Speed, Gradual Success While Under Major Spotlight
+900 GHA | Emmanuel Tagoe (32-1: 15 KOs) 5’8” – 33 y/o:
Hasn’t Lost in Nearly 18 Years, Not Afraid to Scrap
WHO WILL WIN? This is boxing promoting 101 in the case of rising star Ryan Garcia, as he is facing Emmanuel Tagoe, a veteran opponent who carries with him a gaudy record. This fight is essentially an upgrade in competition and another step to push “King Garcia’’ to be one of the biggest draws in all of sports. Tagoe is not a known commodity to casual fight fans as he’s been clearing out competition, locally, on the Ghana boxing circuit. Facing a young star like Garcia is a huge chance for Tagoe to steal the shine off the vibrant boxer and insert himself into the public eye. Technically speaking, Garcia possesses lightning quick hands and a devastating lead hook. Every fight is a learning lesson for the young gun. Garcia has a massive reach advantage over Tagoea, and is most likely to use it frequently as he was a bit overzealous in his last fight when he got clipped and then dropped. For the 23-year old the sky’s the limit, and Tagoe will be a formidable test, but the phenom will continue to rise. Garcia to Win.
FIGHT GOES THE DISTANCE? +340 YES, -500 NO: Both men have a track record of finishing their opponents inside the distance. While Garcia is aggressive in his constant search of a finish and his tit for tat style of boxing, which must be ironed out in time of more dangerous opponents, I see a much more calculated Garcia; using his jab and controlling the range. Tagoe will likely agree to a “point fight” in hopes that he’ll surprise the young padawan with a few tricks up his sleeve. Making it to the final bell is highly-likely. Fight Goes The Distance.
