By Edward Chaykovsky
Abel Sanchez, trainer of middleweight king Gennady Golovkin (36-0, 33KOs), could see Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26KOs) being tempted to fight GGG in the future.
If Golovkin is able to break the middleweight defense record of Bernard Hopkins, Sanchez believes Mayweather would seriously consider coming back to fight him.
Golovkin has made 17 consecutive defenses - all by knockout. Hopkins holds the record at 20 middleweight title defenses.
Holding the IBO/WBA/WBC/IBF middleweight belts, Golovkin is expected to fight again on December 10th in New York City - potentially against mandatory challenger Daniel Jacobs.
39-year-old Mayweather, a former five division world champion, retired from boxing last September after winning a twelve round decision over Andre Berto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He denies the possibility of a return, but also drops hints that he might consider one if the money is right.
Golovkin says Mayweather is the only boxer he would consider dropping to down to fight at 154. Mayweather previously held the WBC/WBA junior middleweight titles and holds wins over Miguel Cotto and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez at the weight. Golovkin has chased after Cotto and Canelo for some time - without success in securing either man.
"The one thing about Floyd is that he’s a brilliant businessman, he thinks about legacy and thinks about where he’s going to be considered in the future. I think that the only way that Floyd would take a fight with Golovkin is if he believes he can beat him and if it’s the kind of money that he wants. He’s a brilliant businessman," Sanchez told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
"If Golovkin keeps doing what he’s doing and breaks Hopkins’ record, I think that then Floyd has something to hang his hat on, that he was able to beat the guy that broke Hopkins’ record in the last unified middleweight champion. I think that’s something that Floyd would covet."
