By Radio Rahim

Abel Sanchez, the trainer for IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (36-0, 33KOs), is not convinced that mandatory challenger Daniel Jacobs (32-1, 29KOs) will be their next opponent.

The fight was targeted for December 10th in New York City. Because they were unable to reach an agreement in time, the fight was pushed back to the first quarter of 2017.

For weeks, the two sides were trying to iron out the financial terms connected to the fight. Jacobs was petitioning the WBA to order a 60-40 split (in Golovkin's favor) if the two sides went to a purse bid. The WBA rejected his request, deciding to keep the split 75-25 in the champion's favor.

Golovkin is the WBA's "super champion" at the 160-pound limit, while Jacobs holds the "regular" version of the same title.

Sanchez reveals that there are still outstanding financial issues - as they are still unable to agree on terms with Jacobs. Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions is negotiating with Jacobs' adviser, Al Haymon.

Unfortunately, Golovkin is unable to pursue alternative options because the WBA has ordered them to face each other - so the two sides are forced to negotiate it out until a deal is reached, a purse bid is won  - or until one of the fighters withdraws from the contest.

"We hope to fight [Jacobs] in the first quarter of 2017. We hope that it's Jacobs, but for some reason they are having some issues with the negotiations and what Danny feels that he should be paid. Until that is ironed out with Al, with Danny and with Tom - we won't know if it's Jacobs but we do hope that [Golovkin] fights in the first quarter of 2017," Sanchez told BoxingScene.com.

"Danny, unfortunately for us, it's a mandatory. We can't go in a different direction and we have to get that ironed out. [Golovkin] obviously doesn't want to get stripped of his title that he worked so hard to get. We have to wait until Danny says that he doesn't want to fight and the WBA accepts that, but until then Danny is the mandatory so he is the priority."

"About a month before our fight with Kell Brook, Danny came on social media and said he had this perfect number in his head that he wanted to get paid to have this fight. Maybe that perfect number is not something that is reasonable, maybe it's not something that's available. That could be it. I honestly don't know the reason [for the negotiations being held up]. But I just hope that when people talk - they are willing to back it up."