Ryota Murata retires from boxing at age 37

After a decorated amateur career and a brief-but-fruitful stint in the pro ranks, Ryota Murata is hanging up the gloves. The 37-year-old announced to the press that last year’s loss to Gennadiy Golovkin was his final fight, though he finds himself “unable” to formally announce his retirement.

Murata became Japan’s first Olympic boxing gold medalist in nearly 50 years when he ran the table at the 2012 Games, ultimately beating Esquiva Falcao in the middleweight finals. He turned pro a year later and quickly racked up a 12-0 record to earn a shot at WBA “world” champ Hassan N’Dam, who walked away with a split decision win so controversial that even WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, one of the least ethical men in a deeply unethical sport, denounced the scoring.

Murata went on to stop N’Dam in a rematch, lose a fairly one-sided decision to Rob Brant two fights later, then crush him in two nine months later. He’d go on to pick up another knockout over Steven Butler before a two-year stint on the sidelines, which ended last April when Golovkin handed him his first and only stoppage defeat.

He ends his career with a record of 16-3 (13 KO). It was one to be proud of, and we wish Murata the best in his future endeavors.