by David P. Greisman
Abel Sanchez, trainer of power-punching middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin, said that GGG would “be absolutely willing” to undergo more advanced drug testing than has been required of him.
“He’s never done any of that, but nobody’s ever asked,” Sanchez told David P. Greisman of BoxingScene.com and Tim Starks of Queensberry-rules.com on Nov. 7.
But he thinks Golovkin should only undergo more advanced drug testing if his opponent is also doing the same.
“If we’re fighting you, then obviously both of us have to do it. If the other guy does it, absolutely,” Sanchez said. “I think it should be mandatory in all fights. I think we need to keep this sport clean, and if it’s not clean then people have advantages that they shouldn’t have.”
Sanchez was asked about volunteering even outside of bouts, like the 24/7/365 testing Nonito Donaire did through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, or VADA.
“I think that Donaire did it just because he wanted to stay relevant,” Sanchez said. “I don’t think that it was anything that he was trying to be a nice guy. He hasn’t fought in a while. He hasn’t looked that good in a while, so he’s going to be relevant.”
In actuality, Donaire was undergoing VADA testing during his Fighter of the Year-worthy campaign in 2012, beginning the 24/7/365 testing prior to his second of four bouts for the year.
“I think that’s [volunteering] up to the individual fighter,” Sanchez said. “I think that there’s rules to be followed in every sport, and if that is a rule that they implement, then yes. But it’s like saying, is he going to volunteer to not sleep past 10? I mean, that’s crazy. There’s got to be things that are implemented into the sport to make it fair for everybody.”
In the case of Floyd Mayweather, he has mandated that his opponents must also undergo more stringent drug testing if they’re going to face him.
“I think that’s great. If Golovkin said, ‘I’m going to do it and everybody who fights me has to do it,’ then OK, I see that,” Sanchez said. “But just for Golovkin to do it and the other guy not to have to do it, I think that’s unfair.”
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