Golovkin's Trainer: No Surprise Canelo Vacated, GGG is Champ!

by Rick Reeno

As reported earlier by BoxingScene.com, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (47-1-1, 33KOs) released an official statement which detailed his decision to vacate the WBC middleweight championship.

The World Boxing Council has ordered Canelo to make a mandatory defense against WBA/IBO/IBF champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs) in the fall.

The sanctioning body had given both sides a 15 day deadline to reach an agreement, with May 24th being stamped down for a purse bid in Mexico City.

The WBC's deadline did not sit well with Canelo.

"After much consideration, today, I instructed my team at Golden Boy Promotions to continue negotiating a fight with Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin and to finalize a deal as quickly as possible.  I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title," Canelo stated. 
 
"For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man. Never has that been more true than today. I will fight 'GGG,' and I will beat 'GGG' but I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines.

"I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and 'GGG' and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see."

BoxingScene.com spoke with Golovkin's trainer, Abel Sanchez, who was unaware of the latest developments.

Sanchez was getting off a plane in Los Angeles, where the veteran coach arrived after working the corner of light heavyweight Murat Gassiev last night in Carlton, Minnesota.

BoxingScene read Canelo's official statement to Sanchez, and he was not surprised by the Mexican star's decision.

Following Canelo's vicious knockout of Amir Khan on May 7th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Sanchez told BoxingScene that he was confident Canelo would never defend the WBC belt against Golovkin.

Pursuant to a signed agreement with the World Boxing Counil, Golovkin - who also holds the WBC interim-title at 160 - is now the full champion by default.

"I knew that was going to happen. I had an inkling that was what he was going to do. Good, now we can go on with the WBC belt. Now he's got three of them and hopefully he can get the fourth one sometime this year and become unified champion," Sanchez told BoxingScene.com.

"I didn't think that he would come through as he promised to the WBC. Now that it's official, I'm glad that we got that out of the way"

Sanchez believes Canelo's issue is not with the WBC's deadline, but Golovkin's firm position to fight at the full middleweight limit.

Canelo had long requested a catch-weight of 155-pounds - a weight where the Mexican fighter had fought at for his last five bouts. Golovkin was very firm on rejecting anything less than the middleweight limit of 160. The WBC's rules on that subject were completely in Golovkin's favor.

Now that Canelo is no longer the champion, there is no nothing binding him to fight Golovkin at 160. The two sides, if they choose, can reach a deal to fight at a weight where both of them feel comfortable.

"Golovkin has said from the beginning that once he's unified champion, then negotiations can happen. But for the title, for the WBC title where Canelo is going to be the champion, it has to be at 160-pounds. So now that's over, there is room for negotiation. Now [Golovkin's promoter] Tom [Loeffler] can go, and I'm sure Gennady has instructed him and his managers have instructed him, that he can negotiate and go back and forth. Whichever way it goes - Gennady wanted to be the champion of four belts and now he's the champion of three," Sanchez explained.