GGG split with Sanchez was inevitable

The Gennady Golovkin-Abel Sanchez breakup has been building up for a lot longer than what is being advertised, FightNights.com has learned.

On Wednesday, Golovkin announced that he has parted ways with his longtime trainer. The duo had been together for nine years, including for Golovkin's first world title bout in 2010.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation reporting exclusively to FightNights.com, Golovkin and his team gave Sanchez a contract to sign after the weigh-in for the rematch with Canelo Alvarez last September. However, he could not read it because it was in Russian. Sanchez refused to sign. Once the contract was translated for him, the "deal" said Golovkin would be allowed to use the gym for free.

The combination of wanting to use the gym for free and a proposed one-fifth cut of pay was simply too much for Sanchez to accept.

"Greedy and ungrateful," Sanchez told ESPN of his firing. "He just signed a $100 million contract [with DAZN] and all of a sudden you have to make drastic steps because you don't have enough money? I feel for the morals and scruples of somebody like that. It's all over money.

"I wouldn't take what they were trying to insult me with. It's very disappointing because I never would've guessed that this young man would do that. I thought this young man had more scruples, more morals, a better upbringing. I never thought it would corrupt him like that. I was blindsided, really."

Sanchez changed his tune slightly on Tuesday in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

"I knew this was inevitable weeks ago. But I think it's unfortunate after he signed a $100 million contract; it's disheartening and heartbreaking about the honor of man. I never try to sugar-coat anything, and I always expect the same of everyone."

Golovkin also offered Sanchez a deal based on results. The 63-year-old also turned that down that proposal but presented a counter-offer. If Sanchez signs a contract based on outcome, he gets to call the shots as far as days and times of training. However, Golovkin said no.

FightNights.com was also told by sources close to the Sanchez team that Golovkin was not training as hard as he used to in camp and would reportedly spend weekends at home, and show up late on Monday.

But Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), 37, a Kazakhstan native living in Santa Monica, California, has a wife and two children. The responsibility of being a good father and a good husband and having to travel to Big Bear for training camp was perhaps wearing on him. Golovkin would often leave camp on Friday as well to spend time with his family. Golovkin will likely remain in the Los Angeles area to train for his upcoming 12-round fight with Steve Rolls, the first bout of his new three-year, six-fight deal with sports streaming service DAZN. The fight is set to take place on June 8 at Madison Square Garden in New York at a contract weight of 164 pounds.

Share this story

must see