Top trainer Abel Sanchez has issued a response to Ryan Garcia after he questioned the Hall of Fame credentials of Gennady Golovkin.
Known for his thunderous punching power and outstanding win-to-knockout ratio, Golovkin reigned as the unified world middleweight champion on two separate occasions, suffering just two defeats throughout the course of his 16-year career, which were handed to him, in controversial fashion, by Mexican icon Canelo Alvarez.
Golovkin defeated the likes of Danny Jacobs, Kell Brook and Gabriel Rosado during his tenure, racking up 37 stoppages in his 42 professional victories before his career eventually came to an end – though his retirement is not yet officially confirmed.
He was recently added to the ballot for consideration to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but it appears that not everybody would back the next step.
In a claim made by Ryan Garcia on the Inside The Ring Show, the former WBC interim lightweight champion said it would ‘be hard for him’ to say Golovkin deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Triple G really had no great victories. It’s a little hard for me to put him in the Hall of Fame. I just don’t see him as a Hall of Famer. I can’t give him that nod.”
Golovkin’s former trainer Abel Sanchez has now responded to Garcia’s comments in an interview with Fight Hub TV, as he claims ‘King Ry’ will ‘never’ reach the heights that the Kazakh star did during his career.
“Ryan Garcia will never be in a level where Gennady got to. Marvin Hagler never moved up in weight and who did Marvin fight? All the guys that Gennady fought were not only top contenders or ex-world champions or champions, and he had 20 defences.
“Golovkin tied Bernard’s [Hopkins] record so I think you have to consider the source, I think that there’s a lot of haters out there … I seriously believe Gennady deserves to be the first ballot Hall of Famer.”
‘GGG’ has not fought since he suffered the second defeat of his career to Canelo in September of 2022, but the 43-year-old has actually hinted that he could be in line for a shock return to the ring next year.
