Middleweight Ryota Murata, who became Japan's first Olympic boxing champion in 48 years last summer at the London Games, said Friday he is turning pro.

Murata will make his pro debut with Tokyo's Misako Gym, which has produced such fighters as former world champion Koichi Wajima and Takao Sakurai, the bantamweight champion at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, who also joined the gym after turning pro.

"Once I won the gold medal at the Olympics, I said I would think about it (turning pro)," said the suit-clad Murata in front of over 100 members of the press gathered at a Tokyo hotel. "I was able to do that. I want to make a fresh challenge."