Former Gennadiy Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez has spoken to World Boxing News exclusively regarding the end of their relationship.
The pair, who worked together for a decade as ‘GGG’ rose from obscurity to the top of the sport, parting company in 2019. The ending came after Golovkin was robbed of a second victory over Canelo Alvarez the previous September.
Sanchez had taken Golovkin to the summit of the mountain as Pound for Pound king. The Kazakh puncher won an unprecedented three straight WBN Fighter of the Year trophies [2013, 2014, and 2015], including a fourth in five years [2017].
But after landing his dream fight against Canelo in 2017 [wrongly scored a draw] and earning a 2018 rematch, outside influences crept in and ultimately severed the bond that once was so strong.
Discussing how Golovkin’s career fizzled out after those two bouts, Sanchez was asked about the lack of fanfare when a man he considered to be like a son dropped his middleweight titles and walked away.
“I was saddened that the people working with him now,” Sanchez exclusively told WBN. “They didn’t prepare a press conference for him as a send-off when he gave up his belts. I know Tom Loeffler [long-time promoter] would have had a huge press conference to announce that he was to give up belts and talk about his future.
“You are talking about a great fighter who made a big mark on this sport.”
After losing to Canelo for a second time in September 2022, Golovkin remained tight-lipped about retirement despite being forty and still holding the IBF and WBA middleweight titles at the time. Mandatory title defenses began to get called, and at that point, Golovkin had no intention of making 160 again.
He could have returned in 2023 at super-middleweight, but with the belts tied up with Canelo and no chance of a fourth fight, Golovkin drifted away without fuss.
In addition, there was no formal confirmation, media gathering, or handshakes. Golokvin merely went quietly into the night.
Asked if he believes Golovkin could return in 2024, Sanchez responded bluntly.
“I don’t have a clue. I’d hope not,” he said before speaking about Golokvin’s tame final effort against Canelo. “I didn’t see the fight. I heard and read about it. But I don’t think that he had the type of career and fights that would have aged him. My take on why he didn’t look as I and others expected was the change in training habits and regimen.”
Quizzed on whether they have spoken since 2019, Sanchez concluded: “No, we have had no contact or have not run into each other since the break-up.”
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
