WBA/IBF Middleweight king Gennadiy Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) batted away the fierce challenge of Ryota Murata (16-3, 13 KOs) with a ninth round stoppage at Saitama, Japan on Saturday.

Murata brought the fight to Golovkin from start to the contests ending, continually stalking GGG with an effective body attack through the first four rounds but thereafter Golovkin got back on track, shaking off 16 months out of the ring with controlled aggression taking over the fight.

Golovkin sent Murata’s mouthguard flying In the fifth but it was in the ninth that signalled the end for the Olympic Gold Medalist. It was in this round that Murata’s resistance was finally found wanting. Golovkin dropped him with a right hand to produce the nights only knockdown before the stoppage came shortly after.

“Murata was a true warrior and he fought to the very end,” said Golovkin during his post-fight interview with DAZN. “He’s an Olympic champion, he was the WBA champion, and we’re extremely happy to have organized this event. I’d like to thank my fans from Kazakhstan, especially those who travelled here to Japan.”

Now the focus shifts to the third fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez however, that only becomes a reality if Canelo beats the unbeaten WBA light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol on May 7 in Las Vegas.