GOLOVKIN’S TRAINER ABEL SANCHEZ MOVES FORWARD AND DISCUSSES GGG’S OPPONENT OPTIONS

Boxing’s latest cold war is over, and the trophy goes to Gennady Golovkin. The 34-year-old Kazakh was confirmed as the new WBC World middleweight champion as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vacated the title.

Behind The Gloves landed an Exclusive interview with Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez following the announcement.

“I’m glad that it is over; I’m glad that he made a decision,” Sanchez said.

Pay-per-view bouts that are not requested by the fans do not fare too well in the “box office.” For instance, Pacquiao vs. Algieri, Canelo vs. Lara, and Golovkin vs. Lemieux.

Sadly, as we have seen far too often in recent years, boxing fans are receiving the shaft.

“Unfortunately, boxing loses and as a boxing fan, I wanted to see that fight, but we’ll go on with Gennady Golovkin’s career,” he added. “Our aim was not so much to fight Canelo; it was to make sure Gennady was on his way to being the unified champion.”

WBA World middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs is expected to return to the ring July 30 at Barclays Center in New York on a card that will also feature Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton for the WBA Super World featherweight title. Former WBO World middleweight champion Andy Lee, according to a source reporting exclusively to The Ring Magazine, is being considered as an opponent.

In an interview with Tha Boxing Voice.com last June, Jacobs said that he had the tools to beat Golovkin. However, his focus at the time was beating former world champion Peter Quillin, which he did last December. Is this a fight that Golovkin’s team is going to pursue?

“A Jacobs fight is a great sell. Jacobs’s cancer story and him being a champion; I think there is a double whammy to that. A fight in New York with him would be a heck of a sell.

“He’s got great skills. That loss against Pirog [Dmitry Pirog] may have been a blessing in disguise because he buckled down and started improving and trying to get better as a fighter,” Sanchez said.

The goal all along for Golovkin was to be the undisputed champion. Now with that goal accomplished, unfortunately without having to land a punch in this particular case, Sanchez revealed what Golovkin’s plans entail. Is 168 an option?

“Absolutely. There’s a lot of options. But that was the whole plan,” he revealed. “I’m sure we’ll have to fight a mandatory somewhere along the way, but now it is also time to go after Saunders, who is the WBO champion.”

Billy Joe Saunders is insisting Golovkin fight him on his home turf in the UK, but the undefeated champion is also requesting $6 million USD for the bout to take place, despite admitting in the past that he had no intention of facing “Triple G” until he slowed down some.

“Everyone says they want to fight Golovkin, but not next,” Sanchez responded. “Boxing has become an economical sport. If the economics are right for Saunders, then I think the fight will happen regardless.”

One hurdle is out of the way, and another remains in Golovkin’s pursuit to become the first undisputed middleweight champion of the world since Jermain Taylor in 2006.

-Ryan O’Hara/ @OharaSports