Golovkin Changes Trainer – Why Did He Stop Working with Abel Sanchez?

Former middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin shocked the sports community with his decision to part ways with his long-time trainer Abel Sanchez. According to GGG's announcement on social media, their split was amicable, and due to the boxer's desire to make a change in his career. What caused controversy, however, was Sanchez's later statement, in which he called Golovkin "greedy" and "ungrateful". Why did GGG stop working with Abel Sanchez? Who will be his new trainer? Keep reading our article to find out. Read More
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What Really Happened Between GGG and Sanchez?

In a nutshell, there are two versions of this story. Let’s start with what Gennady Golovkin said about it. On 24 April 2019, GGG officially announced that he has taken the tough decision to part ways with Abel Sanchez. In his own words:

“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.” Gennady Golovkin

If you are following GGG’s career, you would know that this is one of the few drastic decisions he has taken recently. To begin with, Golovkin stopped working with his longtime collaborator Tom Loeffler, ended his long business relationship with HBO Boxing and signed a 6 fight $100 million-dollar contract with DAZN. So, why did he stopped working with Sanchez if everything was going so well? While Golovkin left things rather unclear, his former trainer decided to shed some light on the situation.

He also published his own statement, in which he claimed that he was offered only one-fifth of what he was earning before. It was a take-it-or-leave-it offer, which clearly insulted Sanchez and he decided to quit his job. The trainer also implied that money has made GGG greedy and disrespectful. It is certainly a shame to see these two-part ways like that, especially after their successful 9-year collaboration. The last fight they prepared together for was against Canelo Alvarez. We remind you that Alvarez defeated Golovkin via majority decision after 12 rounds. However, the Canelo vs Golovkin rivalry is still a fact and both remain open to a trilogy. Before we reveal who will be Golovkin’s new trainer, let remember some the last fights Abel Sanchez and GGG worked together for:

GGG Fight Date Opponent Record Result
15 Sep 2018 Canelo Alvarez 38–1–1 Loss
5 May 2018 Vanes Martirosyan 38–0–1 Win
16 Sep 2017 Canelo Alvarez 38–0–1 Draw
18 Mar 2017 Daniel Jacobs 37-0 Win
10 Sep 2016 Kell Brooks 36-0 Win
23 Apr 2016 Dominc Wade 35-0 Win
17 Oct 2015 David Lemieux 34-0 Win
16 May 2015 Willie Monroe Jr. 33-0 Win
21 Feb 2015 Martin Murray 32-0 Win

Who Is Golovkin’s New Trainer?

GGG’s new trainer is Jonathan Banks. Does the name sound familiar? It should. Banks is a former boxer and a disciple of Emmanuel Stewart who took over his role as a coach of Wladimir Klitschko after Stewart passed away in 2012. Luckily for Golovkin, Banks was available after Klitschko officially retired in 2017. According to GGG’s own words, he wanted to learn new skills and reach higher goals. Jonathan was just the right teacher for him. We remind you that Banks relies heavily on Stewart’s teachings and on everything he learned in the legendary KRONK Gym. He has never taken a fighter to training camp and instead follows Stewart’s emphasis on the fundaments of boxing.

While the training style has certainly worked for boxing legends such as Wladimir Klitschko and Thomas Hearns, we must note that its efficiency is a subjective matter. The Kronk style is not better or worse than any other. It focuses on utilizing the jab and keeping the opponent at a distance. It is only a matter of time to see how GGG will adapt to it. While the fighter has a great jab, which might fit perfectly to the new style, he might also end up trying too hard to change what made him a champion in a first place. We will have to wait and see. Meanwhile, if you want to see the moment in which Golovkin announced that Jonathan Banks would be his new trainer, play the video below:

GGG and His Upcoming Fight with Steve Rolls

Will Golovkin’s new trainer change the odds in Roll’s favor? If you are a sports betting fan, you are probably wondering the same. The short answer is that it is possible but highly unlikely. Golovkin will face Rolls on June 8, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. As you can imagine, most bookmakers are already accepting bets and so far, the odds seem to be in GGG’s favor. In fact, the best odds are currently offered by Paddy Power 1/33.

However, will Banks actually help Golovkin defeat Rolls? Let’s put it this way – this will be one of the toughest fights in Rolls career and anything that keeps Golovkin from performing up to his full potential, could theoretically lead to his loss. Such a scenario has to be considered as the sudden change of trainer usually come with new approaches, which could potentially lead to a growing physical pain. However, as we have no information on how the new training regime is affecting GGG, we can only hope that the outcome will be positive. After all, Golovkin’s physique and performance could suggest that the Kronk style is better suited for his long-term interests.

Many have argued that through the years that GGG has been letting his opponents land clean shots on him due to technical deficiency. In such case, Banks might help him correct that and create a new strategy, in which Golovkin keeps his opponent at the end of his punches, while also limiting the number of punches he takes in return. If such a scenario turns out to be true, we might see the best version of Golovkin in years.

Golovkin vs Rolls – How to Bet?

As we have mentioned above, there are various scenarios on how the upcoming fight between Gennady Golovkin and Steve Rolls will go. Generally speaking, Rolls is yet undefeated and, without a doubt, a good fighter. Yet, there is nothing to suggest that he is capable of defeating a talented and highly experienced boxer like Golovkin. In fact, the change of trainer should not affect the outcome and Rolls has no advantage over GGG whatsoever. They are both almost the same age and size. Thus, taking into account the excellent fighting technique that Golovkin has, there is little to no chance of him being defeated.

After all, that is why he is going against Roll in the first place. His opponent was not chosen because he could give GGG a good fight. In fact, statistically, Rolls is expected to lose. He was chosen so that the public could see Gennady Golovkin winning, which commercially would be a big success for DAZN. So, in our opinion, you should be safe to back GGG. Even if he struggles to implement some of the new concepts that Banks has taught him, he could still use his old fighting style, which will work just fine in this case. Furthermore, we also remind you that if he beats Rolls, Golovkin will be one step closer to securing a third fight against Alvarez. Ready to take a chance on GGG? You can do so at our best betting sites. Remember to gamble wisely and make smart choices.

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