Gennadiy Golovkin prepares for the biggest fight of his career this weekend. But they didn’t get much bigger than Manny Pacquiao.
World Boxing News spoke with former GGG trainer Abel Sanchez about a possible fight with Pacquiao a few years ago. Golovkin was ready to accept battle.
But with a colossal stipulation they ended the negotiations before they began, as WBN explains.
Sanchez consistently claimed that the unified WBA and IBF middleweight champion could hit the lower limit of 154. However, he added that getting closer to 147 was a firm no-go.
Gennady Golovkin
Sanchez was adamant as he oversaw Golovkin’s astonishing rise to the top of the sport over the past decade that if “Pac-Man” or Floyd Mayweather called him, his man could take them on at super welterweight.
Now that they have parted ways and are no longer working together, Sanchez was asked again in 2020 by WBN about a Pacquiao vs. GGG blockbuster.
Summit’s trainer exclusively told World Boxing News: “Manny Pacquiao is at the point where he doesn’t really need any of the young champions, so that’s a big step.
“I think it would be difficult to make the weight comfortably. And if there’s a rehydration cap, that makes it harder for Golovkin.
“Having to drain yourself to do 154. Also, being exhausted and sluggish due to weight loss could be a problem. Especially with Manny’s hand speed?
“Manny Pacquiao is a small fighter. I think he started out as a flyweight so the size difference would make a difference.”
He added how the fight between the Philippines and Kazakhstan’s top boxers would play out: “I see Manny having his moments early in the fight, but Gennadiy Golovkin is not Margarito.
“Golovkin will hurt Manny.”
manny pacquiao
Pacquiao then admitted his interest in facing Golovkin in what would be an impressive fight for the boxing world to enjoy. Unfortunately, that’s where the whole situation came to a standstill.
The Filipino insisted on a stipulation that ended the possibility of any dead fight.
If the eight-weight ruler was going to share the ring with Kazakhstan’s top export, any major Pay-Per-View contest had to be held at a weight beyond Golovkin’s reach.
“As long as it’s 147 pounds,” Pacquiao told The Manila Times. “I’m fine with that. But it’s too big for me if it’s above that.”
When asked about moving back up to super welterweight, where he successfully campaigned in 2010, Pacquiao added: “154 pounds? It depends, I guess, but there are no negotiations at the moment.”
They never perspired. Some say lucky for the legend that Pacquiao is. And after his loss to Yordenis Ugas, he subsequently retired.
There is no progress on what was mere speculation for Manny Pacquiao vs GGG. But as we saw in 2016 with Canelo vs. Amir Khan, and indeed Golovkin vs. Kell Brook later that same year, anything is possible in boxing.
super light
The fact that Pacquiao can probably still make super lightweight, even at 44 years old, should tell you all you need to know on the matter.
We were always more likely to see Golovkin going up to 168 than coming anywhere remotely south of his current weight of 160.
He now faces a Las Vegas showdown in the United States with Canelo. It’s a PPV litmus test for dominance in the 168-pound weight class.
An earlier draw and split decision against the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belt holder left a bad taste in the mouths of all boxing fans.
Golovkin has a chance to fix that this weekend.
WBN editor Phil Jay has over ten years of boxing news experience. He follows WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
