Gennady Golovkin Announces Split With Trainer Abel Sanchez

Ahead of his fight against Steve Rolls in June on a new broadcast platform, Gennady Golovkin will also have a new trainer by his side.

The former middleweight champion announced on social media that he has split with longtime trainer Abel Sanchez after several years of working together. Golovkin made the announcement on social media, which can be seen below.

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I would like to announce that I have made a major decision for myself and for my career. I want to build on what I have already achieved and continue 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 is 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.

A post shared by Gennady Golovkin GGG (@gggboxing) on Apr 24, 2019 at 2:22pm PDT

Sanchez also released a statement confirming the news, but his side of the story painted a much less amicable split with Golovkin. Sanchez claimed that Golovkin insisted on a new compensation schedule that Sanchez found insulting and led to the end of their relationship.

“FYI, as of today, I will no longer be working with Gennady Golovkin. After a great 9 year run, records set, and equaled, developing a Hall of Fame career and making it possible to sign a 6-fight $100 million contract with DAZN, he proposed and insisted on an insulting new trainer compensation schedule. My dignity and honor does not allow me to be screwed like that, it’s unfortunate being greedy, being ungrateful and no ethics, honor or integrity will end this relationship.”

Golovkin and Sanchez have worked together for the better part of the 2010s, winning multiple middleweight world titles together. The last two years of Golovkin’s career have been one of professional highs and lows. After Golovkin defeated Daniel Jacobs in March 2017, he would go on to fight Canelo Alvarez to a draw later that year. Golovkin bounced back from that draw to knock out Vanes Martirosyan on May 5, 2018 and would go on to lose a majority decision to Alvarez in their rematch last September.

Since that loss to Alvarez, Golovkin would go on to sign a six-fight, three-year deal to fight on DAZN. Golovkin’s first fight on the streaming service will take place on June 8 at Madison Square Garden against Rolls.