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Gennady Golovkin's trainer talks about roots of GGG's style

When Gennady Golovkin selected Abel Sanchez as his trainer, the veteran took Golovkin to Big Bear, Calif., and immediately knew what he had.

It was evident Golovkin had the skills, winning a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic games, but Sanchez was keenly aware that there was something raw that GGG possessed that could potentially make him a star.

Trainer Abel Sanchez, left, and Gennady Golovkin at a media workout late last year. (Getty)
Trainer Abel Sanchez, left, and Gennady Golovkin at a media workout late last year. (Getty)

With the unique combination of debilitating power and world-class precision, Sanchez and Golovkin have coined GGG’s in-ring methodology as “Mexican style.”

And with a record of 33-0 with 30 KOs, Golovkin has become one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport, which is why he will headline his first pay-per-view when he faces David Lemieux on Oct. 17 at Madison Square Garden.

But what exactly is “Mexican style?” Sanchez explained.

“The Mexican style that we have been trying to develop with him is just more of an entertaining style,” Sanchez told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a style that is reminiscent of fighters in the past like [Roberto] Duran, [Salvador] Sanchez, [Julio Cesar] Chavez and even Oscar’s [De La Hoya] fights where guys stood in the middle of the ring, went at each other and gave the fans the kind of fight that they deserve for the money that they're paying.”

Sanchez said Golovkin’s style is the reason why he’s become one of boxing’s biggest attractions. It was a plan hatched early on to help him become a top name in the sport. A victory against Lemieux will likely net him a big money showdown with the winner of the Nov. 21 showdown between Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

However, one of the names that has been thrown around for a potential blockbuster has been super middleweight Andre Ward, who may have been considered the A-side a few years ago. But due to Ward’s inactivity, he’s not necessarily on GGG’s radar. Ward has accused Team GGG of ducking him while Sanchez says its Ward’s own fault why the fight isn’t happening right now.

“It's OK for Andre to call [Golovkin’s] name out, but Andre needs to fight to be relevant and people won’t forget who he is,” Sanchez said, while dismissing the notion that Golovkin ducked Ward. Sanchez went so far as to call Ward a liar in a previous interview and stated that Ward threw his name out as a potential opponent only after GGG signed to face Lemieux.

“Just because he won the [Super Six Tournament] four years ago and has fought two times in the last three years against nondescript opponents doesn't make him qualified for [a fight against Golovkin],” Sanchez said. “I think when he starts fighting and becomes relevant, I'm sure that fight will be down the road. But until then, it doesn't make any sense to us.”