Gennady Golovkin returned the WBA middleweight title to defeated Ryota Murata after securing victory in a unification clash.
The Kazakh star made his ring return for the first time in over a year after defeating Kamil Szeremeta back in December 2020. Despite not having proceedings all his own way, Golovkin managed to rally to a ninth round stoppage with a neat right hand to close the show.
After securing the victory, Golovkin opted to make an emotional gesture to his opponent and footage showed him entering the changing room of his ring rival. He entered the room and handed the belt to Murata, and said: "This is your belt for your whole life now." The pair then shook hands and embraced showing a clear level of respect for one-another after Golovkin walked away with the unified titles.
