Golovkin's Coach: Saunders is NOT Jacobs - GGG Will Stop Him!
By Edward Chaykovsky
Abel Sanchez, trainer of IBF, IBO, WBC, WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs), is crossing his fingers that a fight will be finalized with WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs).
Their promoters are currently negotiating the details of a potential five belt unification for June 10th in the Golovkin's homeland of Kazakhstan.
"I would love to see Gennady do the Saunders fight because it’s been his goal talking to all of us to make sure he has the four belts, once he has the four belts we have a lot of different directions he can go in, so it’s important for us as a team to get that done," Sanchez told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
Golovkin was in action last month at New York's Madison Square Garden, when he went the full twelve round distance for the first time in his close decision win over mandatory challenger Daniel Jacobs. Golovkin had all he could handle in the contest, which was very competitive and snapped GGG's streak of 23 knockout wins.
Regarding the issues that Golovkin had with Jacobs, Saunders believes he's a better boxer than the Brooklyn native.
"Golovkin is strong but a boxer always beats a puncher and he’s never faced anyone as tricky as me. Jacobs gave him a real fight on Saturday but he isn’t in my class when I’m on form,” Saunders said.
Sanchez agrees that that Saunders and Jacobs are not in the same class - because he views Jacobs as the tougher opponent of the two.
While the veteran trainer anticipates a tough fight, he says Saunders will not have the size or the strength to hold Golovkin off for twelve rounds like Jacobs did.
"I think Golovkin beats him. I don’t think Saunders will be as big and strong as Daniel Jacobs, and I think Golovkin stops him late in the fight, but it’s going to be a difficult fight. Saunders is a difficult fighter, a very mobile and elusive fighter, so it’s going to be a difficult fight," Sanchez said.
