Fearsome fighter: Ryota Murata adds weight to his reputation with his 10th victory as a pro
Poster boy of Japanese boxing boosts his chances of shot at a world title after fourth-round stoppage of Brazilian opponent Felipe Pedroso
London Games Olympic champion Ryota Murata of Japan enhanced his growing reputation as a fearsome middleweight fighter, scoring his 10th straight victory as a professional on the undercard of “Clash of Champions”.
I always had the measure of him and I ended the fight well
The 28-year-old Tokyo-based fighter is hoping to get a future shot at the world title in one of the toughest divisions in boxing, but he did his reputation a tonne of good with a fourth-round stoppage of Brazilian fighter Felipe Pedroso.
“I came here in good form and I felt good throughout the fight,” said Murata, who raised his record to 10-0, 7 KOs.
“I always had the measure of him and I ended the fight well,” said the 28-year-old Japanese, who was the first from his country in nearly 50 years to win a boxing gold in London.
Pedroso came into the ring at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai with a decent record of 13-1, 11 KOs, but it was clear from the onset that he was no match for the talented 1.8-metre-tall Japanese.
Murata was always on the offensive and gradually wore his opponent down, throwing heavy uppercuts and jabs combined with lethal left and right hooks.
