The fight “will happen on a Tuesday evening in Japan, which will be morning in North America.” As Coppinger points out, Murata (16-2, 13 KO) is a massive star in his home country, so it’s not surprising that Top Rank and Teiken would prioritize the local market instead of making the timing more America-friendly.
Those of you willing to shake off the post-Christmas fugue and get up bright and early are likely in for quite the show, as both men are hugely entertaining finishers. Murata’s unproven ability to handle top-flight competition and Golovkin’s (41-1-1, 36 KO) visible decline add some nice intrigue as well.