Why did Abel Sanchez downplay Sullivan Barrera as the ''student?''

**-PBP-** · 03-30-2016, 05:55 AM

Because he's butthurt that Ward called his bluff so like a scorned ex, he wants to downplay everything Ward does. Even if that means throwing your own fighter under the bus.

**Rip Chudd** · 03-30-2016, 08:53 AM

Yeah that was very distasteful of Sanchez. Talked all that crap about how his guy would whoop Ward and as soon as he loses he throws his own fighter under the bus although he had no answer as a trainer for his guy in the corner. Sad

**Finito2K** · 03-30-2016, 08:55 AM

Originally posted by SugarKaineHook

Why would you want a coach like that? He's 34, not a kid. Cuban...

Tbh, many Cuban boxers would take offense to that...

Amateur Career

2000 World Junior Championships Gold medalist in Budapest, Hungary as a Middleweight.
Defeated Micha Tabagoua (Sweden) 24-4
Defeated Sebastian Grothe (Germany) 22-7
Defeated Chad Dawson (United States) 21-11
Defeated Imre Szellő (Hungary) 18-12
2002 Cuban National Championships Bronze medalist at Middleweight.
2003 Cuban National Championships Bronze medalist at Middleweight.
Holds amateur victories over future professional world champions Mariano Natalio Carrera, Chad Dawson and Beibut Shumenov.

I bet the following statement is really going to piss a few Cubans off.

Cuba may has the best amateur program in the world. Why? Because they can make a decent living in Cuba by simply fighting in said amateur program. That's the problem with them as pros and they actually have to earn their living.

You have to work even harder than a pro to stay in the Cuban program. More shots to the head and overall wear and tear. Sullivan logged over 325 amateur fights. Lets say he won them all in 2 rounds average. That's still 650 rounds fighting. That is almost 50 twelve rounds fights before he ever saw the pro style.

Add that they teach a game that is to win like an amateur. Of course they have amazing fundamentals but they don't turn on punches nor use the feet like a pro will. Here we teach kids how to fight as pros and we can't adapt to that amateur scoring system.

Once these non kids defect and get here, they are not shot but far from young. Yuriorkis Gamboa (26), Luis Gonzalez (26), Luis Ortiz was 31 when he turned pro. Guillermo Rigondeaux was the tender age of 29.

These guys are either at prime or past it as rookies.

For all his amateur pedigree, Barrera looked like a stiff who couldn't figure out how to throw a lead right. Not even a little. Of course Ward is a tough out but Barrera didn't have the skill nor thought of even doing it once.

He was jab, right or jab jab right. Nothing more. Rigo and Ortiz are oddities but these are the normals for the island. When they usually fight top cats, they fail miserably.

**otrocubiche** · 03-30-2016, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by Finito2K

I bet the following statement is really going to piss a few Cubans off.

Cuba may has the best amateur program in the world. Why? Because they can make a decent living in Cuba by simply fighting in said amateur program. That's the problem with them as pros and they actually have to earn their living.

You have to work even harder than a pro to stay in the Cuban program. More shots to the head and overall wear and tear. Sullivan logged over 325 amateur fights. Lets say he won them all in 2 rounds average. That's still 650 rounds fighting. That is almost 50 twelve rounds fights before he ever saw the pro style.

Add that they teach a game that is to win like an amateur. Of course they have amazing fundamentals but they don't turn on punches nor use the feet like a pro will. Here we teach kids how to fight as pros and we can't adapt to that amateur scoring system.

Once these non kids defect and get here, they are not shot but far from young. Yuriorkis Gamboa (26), Luis Gonzalez (26), Luis Ortiz was 31 when he turned pro. Guillermo Rigondeaux was the tender age of 29.

These guys are either at prime or past it as rookies.

For all his amateur pedigree, Barrera looked like a stiff who couldn't figure out how to throw a lead right. Not even a little. Of course Ward is a tough out but Barrera didn't have the skill nor thought of even doing it once.

He was jab, right or jab jab right. Nothing more. Rigo and Ortiz are oddities but these are the normals for the island. When they usually fight top cats, they fail miserably.

Don't think it is going to piss most of us, that's the way it really is. On top of that cuban amateur stand outs are held in high regard in Cuba, so they tend to think they deserve everything, when they come over they keep thinking they deserve a lot of things for free and boxing is a brutal sport and an even more brutal business; with very little support, refusing to engage in a more fan friendly style and refusing to speak the language, it's a miracle that even a few can make a little noise in the sport.

Apart from that, sanchez had no plan for ward, he was basically hoping ward was rusty and would tire up or barrera could get a miracle punch in there, now he's trying to save face and putting everything on barrera.

**Larry the boss** · 03-30-2016, 09:49 AM

He said Ward was past prime..lol but he had no game plan for his fighter to beat a past prime fighter...sad

**therealpugilist** · 03-30-2016, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by larrys.o.g

He said Ward was past prime..lol but he had no game plan for his fighter to beat a past prime fighter...sad

this MFer overrated but a good trainer...just not great yet

**Finito2K** · 03-30-2016, 10:12 AM

Who cares what Sanchez thinks?! Last I checked, he's never brokered any significant fight on behalf of GGG.

All his rambling serves no purpose. Golovkin isn't leaving 160 anytime soon and unless Ward can still make 168 after nearly 3 years th3 chances of it happening are minimal.

**Greed.** · 03-30-2016, 10:22 AM

Yeah, he was talking like Barrera is a 20 year old kid with no amateur experience. He is the bigger man with an extensive amateur background. He just isn't and never will be good enough to beat Ward.

**j0zef** · 03-30-2016, 01:31 PM

Holy effin crap you people try to spin things out of control if it suits your needs. Barrera can absolutely be described as a student. And in no way shape or form is Sanchez throwing him under the bus.

Yes, he has good amateur experience, but most of you took that statement and ran with it without actually checking what it means. He hasn't won anything on any of the big stages - no world championships, no olympics. The 'victories over future champions' is a little silly. Like the poster Finito explained, other countries' amateur programs are better than the states. When Barrera, then 18, beat Chad Dawson, Barrera has been boxing for some years and has been trained by professionals. Chad Dawson was still in high school in the year 2000 when they fought.

There was a video posted a little over a year ago where Golovkin was showing Barrera how to fight in a clinch. Here it is.

Before Ward, Barrera has fought a completely washed up, 38 year old Jeff Lacy in an 8 round fight. He has never fought for the duration of 12 rounds and only participated in a 12 round fight once, against Karo Murat, currently the 80th ranked LHW by Boxrec. There are no other notable names on Barrera's resume.

Barrera has been classified as a prospect from a good amateur program. That's exactly what he is. It just sucks that he's already 34.

Why did Abel Sanchez downplay Sullivan Barrera as the ''student?''