By Edward Chaykovsky

Abel Sanchez, trainer of WBC/WBA/IBO/IBF middleweight world champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs), knows all too well how hard it's been for his fighter to secure top level opponents.

He was unable to secure Sergio Martinez when he was WBC champion. He was unable to secure Miguel Cotto when he was WBC champion. And he's been unable to get Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, at least for the moment. The WBC ordered Canelo to make a mandatory defense against GGG, and Canelo vacated his world title on Wednesday.

When asked if Golovkin is starting to get a Mike Tyson-like mystique, where fighters are feeling nerves before they enter the ring - Sanchez believes his boxer is indeed being viewed in the same light by opponents.

"Oh absolutely, but I’m not gonna say it’s fear but respect for what he’s done and also think of who he’s knocked out and how he’s knocked them out. Of course that gives Golovkin a little edge because these guys are a little weary of doing the things that they want to do, not because they’re scared but just because they know what has happened in the past. Wade was 18-0 and he was our mandatory contender, so we had no choice but to fight him, but I think that he’s going to be back and I think he’s going to do well," Sanchez said to On The Ropes Boxing Radio.

In Golovkin's mandatory fight against Dominic Wade last month, his opponent seemed overwhelmed and looking for a quick exit. Golovkin put him away in two rounds.

"I don’t believe he was scared of Golovkin, I believe he was scared of the situation. He had never been in a situation like that with sixteen thousand fans screaming Golovkin’s name, I think that may have put him out of sorts. Every fighter who steps through the ropes is not afraid, they have butterflies but they are warriors, they’re not afraid to do what they got to do. Maybe the situation confused him a little bit and befuddled him a little bit, but I don’t think he was scared," Sanchez said.