1. Abel Sanchez Fired By Gennady Golovkin
A relationship that began nine years ago with Abel Sanchez picking up a young Gennady Golovkin from Los Angeles International Airport, ended on Wednesday.
Golovkin, who had suffered his first professional loss in September of 2018, announced that he parted ways with his longtime trainer, friend, and adviser.
The former unified middleweight champion has made serious changes to his business structure since the loss to Alvarez, taking more control of his career and business interests, hiring new lawyers and developing his own GGG Promotions brand.
Following a nine-figure contract with DAZN, Golovkin signed to fight Steve Rolls on June 8th at MAdison Square Garden, a fight he hopes will lead to a rematch with Canelo Alvarez this fall.
“I would like to announce that I have made a major decision for myself and for my career,” Golovkin said in a statement. “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.”
Never known to hold his tongue, Sanchez blasted his once star-pupil, telling ESPN that greed broke up a nearly decade long partnership.
“Greedy and ungrateful,” Sanchez told ESPN. “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.”
2. Mikey Garcia Vacates WBC Lightweight Title
While Mikey Garcia has abdicated the WBC lightweight championship, the popular four-division world champion isn’t sure if he wants to walk away from it entirely.
“I haven’t officially made that decision yet that it’s done,” Garcia (39-1, 30KOs) told Fox Sports’ Kate Abdo, although indirectly referring to his status as WBC Champion Emeritus. “Mauricio (Sulaiman, WBC President) and I still have to discuss some options.
“The last thing I want is to vacate the title. But I don’t plan on fighting my next fight at 135. So, what he told me was that if I choose to fight at a different weight class, that someone else will fight for my title.”
Winning the title in January 2017, when he knocked out Dejan Zlaticanin, Garcia would only defend the title only once in that time, defeating Robert Easter Jr. in 2018 in a title unification fight.
3. Canelo-Jacobs To Have Same Judges As Canelo-GGG II
Canelo Alvarez will see familiar faces scoring ringside on May 4th, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission appointed judges on Wednesday for his May 4th fight against Daniel Jacobs.
The NSAC would vote unanimously in favor of executive director Bob Bennet’s recommendations at their monthly meeting on April 24th.
Scoring Alvarez’ return to Las Vegas will be the same three men who scored his September 2018 win over Gennady Golovkin, Connecticut’s Glenn Feldman, Nevada’s Dave Moretti and New Jersey’s Steve Weisfeld Veteran Nevada referee Tony Weeks was approved to officiate Alvarez-Jacobs’ middleweight unification fight from T-Mobile Arena.
Both Moretti and Weisfeld scored in Alvarez’ favor in September 2018, scoring it 115-113, while Feldman saw the fight as a draw.
One name not on Bennett’s list on Wednesday was Adalaide Byrd, who was a part of the initial list made last week, receiving universal backlash due to her inexplicable 118-110 scorecard for Alvarez in his 2017 draw against Golovkin.
4. Lesnar Confirms UFC Offer To Fight Cormier
Brock Lesnar usually lets Paul Heyman do the talking for him, but last week Lesnar gave a rare sit-down interview in his adopted home providence of Saskatchewan.
As part of a charity event at the Assiniboia Sports Celebrity Dinner & Auction, Lesnar was the keynote speaker and discussed not only why he and wife Rena put up roots in his remote farm, but did let slip that the UFC has made contact with him for a fight this year against Daniel Cormier.
Speaking to the event’s host Rod Pedersen, Lesnar said the UFC has made an offer for the former heavyweight champion to return this summer and face current heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier this Summer.
Lesnar is still weighing his options per Pedersen’s website, but if he agrees, it would be his first fight inside the Octagon since UFC 200, and his first UFC title fight in nine years, when he lost the title to Cain Velasquez.
5. Pacquiao-Thurman Eyed For July 20th
Even with Danny Garcia getting a win on Saturday night, WBA “super” welterweight champion, Keith Thurman looks to be the winner of the Manny Pacquiao sweepstakes.
Mike Coppinger of The Ring tweeted this week that Pacquiao and Thurman are close to inking a deal for a welterweight title fight on July 20th in Las Vegas.
While both hold versions of the WBA’s welterweight championship, it is not expected to see unification, with the winner becoming the “super world” champion, and Pacquiao’s “regular” title being put up in another fight later this year..
Per Coppinger, Pacquiao would return to the MGM Grand on July 20th, the site of his January 19th PPV win over Adrien Broner, which saw 400,000 buys on Pay-Per-View, higher than Wilder-Fury (325K), and Spence-Garcia (360K).