Larry Goossen, influential trainer and Big Bear pioneer, dies at 75

Larry Goossen, a trainer and matchmaker from one of boxing’s most influential families, has died at the age of 75 following a prolonged battle with heart problems.

Goossen, credited with helping establish Big Bear, California, as a major boxing training destination that has attracted Oscar De La Hoya, Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez and countless others, was the brother of late Hall of Fame promoter Dan Goossen and Hall of Fame trainer Joe Goossen.

His brother-in-law Tom Brown, a veteran matchmaker and current TGB Promotions promoter who is on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2027, told BoxingScene that Goossen died Friday surrounded by his family.

Goossen was married to his wife, Cindie, for 37 years. He is survived by Cindie, daughters Heather and Tiffany, and grandchildren Jason, Joseph and Juliet.

His late older brother, Greg, played for the New York Mets, while his surviving siblings include Brown’s wife, Sandi, and brothers Patrick, Joe and Tom.

Goossen’s association with Big Bear began when he brought a businessman who wanted to box to the local airport. He and others soon recognized the cardiovascular demands of training at an altitude of nearly 7,000 feet, helping lay the foundations for the mountain community’s emergence as a favored training base for elite fighters.

That legacy continues today. WBA super middleweight champion Jaime Munguia purchased a gym from Golovkin’s former trainer Abel Sanchez in recent years, while Sanchez subsequently built another facility in Big Bear.

Sanchez went on to guide heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic to a ninth-round TKO victory over Moses Itauma, whose conditioning faltered as the championship rounds approached.

Goossen’s funeral is scheduled for November 20 at Saint Francis de Sales Church in Sherman Oaks, California.