𝔉When Gennady “GGG” Golovkin returns to Madison Square Gard🍃en on June 8, he’ll have a rich new contract and a new trainer.
Golovkin (38-1, 34 KOs) will face Steve Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs) of Canada in the first of a six-fight, $100 million deal Golovkin signed with the live-streaming service DAZN. Press conferences were held earlier this week in Manhattan and Los Angeles to announce the signing and the upcoming fight. Notably mi༺ssing was Golovkin’s long-timer trainer, Abel Sanchez. Golovkin took to Instagram to explain why.
“I would like to announce that I have made a major decision for myself and for my career🎀,” he wrote. “I want to build on what I have already achieved and conti🍬nue to better myself. Therefore, I will not be training with Abel Sanchez. This was not an easy decision for me and it is not a reflection on Abel’s professional abilities. He’s a great trainer, a loyal trainer, and a Hall of Fame trainer. I will be announcing my new trainer at a later date. But today, I want to thank Abel for the lessons he taught me in boxing.”
Sanchez immediately fired back witꦚh his own version of what led to their separation, indicating money at the root𓂃 of the problem.
“He insisted on an insulting new trainer compensation schedule,” Sanchez sa🍎id in his own statement. “Myꦜ dignity and honor does not allow me to be screwed like that. It’s unfortunate being greedy, ungrateful and [having] no ethics, honor and integrity will end this relationship.”
Some boxers go through trainers like socks. Mike Tyson dumping Kevin Rooney, Evander Hol🍸yfield leaving Lou Duva, and even Manny Pacquiao’s brief separation from Freddie Roach come to mind, and 🙈there are countless other examples. But this relationship seemed unique.
Sanchez had trained Golovkin since 2010, when the unknown middle🏅weight from Kazakhstan walked into his gym located in Big Bear, Calif. Sanchez helped Golovkin to a 37-0 record and the WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO midd🐈leweight titles. At one point, Golovkin won 23 fights by knockout, 18 of them with Sanchez in his corner.
But Sanchez was more than jus⛦t a trainer. English isn’🎶t Golovkin’s first or best language, and it was Sanchez who served as his fighter’s mouthpiece and antagonist, particularly during two high-profile bouts with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Their first meeting in September 2017 ended in a draw, then Alvarez won the rematch and the titles with a majority decision last September. That’s the last time Golovkin was in the ring.
Once under contract with HBO, Golovkin, 37, was looking fo𒅌r a new broadcast platform and it was no surprise he settled with DAZN, which is signing the top fighters in the middleweight division.
“I’m very happy,” Golovkin said at his New York press conference. “I’m happy to get back to my sport and back to Madison Square [Garden].It’s a very i🍷nteresting time for me.”
Golovkin has yet to announce his new trainer, but is said to be looking at multiple candidates. Accord🔯ing to a source close to the situation, Golovkin, 37, was getting pressure within his family to maximize his financial return during the six-fight deal. Part of that plan was not spending the standard 10 percent fee fo🦩r a trainer. Sanchez has said he was offered 5 percent.
“The disappointing thing is you give a guy credit for your career and a crazy thing 🏅like the DAZN contract comes along, you should want to take care of the trainer,” said a source close to the situation. “That didn’t happen here. I’m sure it was a significant cut or Abel wouldn’t have walked away.”
Former lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. and 🔯former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy meet for the vacant WBA lightweight championship Saturday in Las Vegas. The bout will be televised on Showtime.