Tag: Johnathon Banks

Vitali Klitschko says he gave Wladimir bad advice in Anthony Joshua fight

Vitali Klitschko regrets telling brother Wladimir to be patient after he hurt Anthony Joshua in their 2017 fight.

Did Vitali Klitschko cost brother Wladimir a victory against Anthony Joshua in 2017?

Well, big bro might’ve played role in the failed attempt to take Joshua’s heavyweight championship at Wembley Stadium in London, according to the story trainer Johnathon Banks told Sky Sports.

Klitschko, 41 at the time, hit the canvas in Rounds 1 and 5 but stormed back to hurt Joshua later in the same round and then put him down with a big right hand midway through Round 6. Joshua survived but was still shaken between Rounds 6 and 7.

Banks told Sky Sports that between rounds, “I said: ‘Wladimir, you’ve got to finish this guy. No more boxing. Go get him! He’s still hurt. You’ve got to finish him!’”

Vitali Klitschko also was in the corner. And he had difference advice, given in Russian.

“When Wladimir almost knocked Joshua out, I gave him the wrong advice,” the elder Klitschko said. “I was positive that Joshua, with his huge muscle mass, would not be able to last [the distance].

“I advised Wladimir not to rush anything. I had hoped that after the seventh, the eighth round … Joshua would really slow down. Now I think that maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was necessary to finish him off sooner.”

Banks said he got the gist of what Vitali said even though it was in Russian and became alarmed.

“I understood Vitali say that in Russian,” Banks said. “I jumped up! The security guards told me to sit down but I was shouting, ‘Finish him, finish him!’

“I knew Vitali’s voice would reign supreme over mine. I tried my best to override.”

Wladimir didn’t attack Joshua with the urgency that Banks wanted, Joshua recovered and the muscle-bound Englishman stopped Klitschko in the 11th round. The big Ukrainian never fought again.

 

Video: Mannix, Mora on plan to have Canelo, GGG take interim fights

What impact would taking interim fights have on Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin? Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora answer that question.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has floated a plan to have Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin fight for a third time in December.

Alvarez would first face Billy Joe Saunders in the fall and Golovkin would defend his title against mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta around the same time.

The rivals would then meet again before the end of the year.

In this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora, DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora ask the question: What impact would taking interim fights have on Alvarez and Golovkin?

Here’s what they had to say.

[jwplayer CMxQbwNE]

 

 

 

Video: Mannix, Mora: Does GGG need tune-up before Canelo fight?

Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora discuss whether Gennadiy Golovkin should jump directly into a third fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Everyone is wondering who will fight whom when the coronavirus pandemic subsides. And rivals Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin are among the hottest subjects of speculation.

Will Alvarez still fight Billy Joe Saunders, his projected opponent for Cinco de Mayo before the COVID-19 threat? Or because he and Triple-G agreed to fight in September, will they go directly into that fight?

Or will Golovkin face mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta, as he had planned. Triple-G’s trainer, Johnathon Banks, has said he would prefer Golovkin take an interim fight before facing Alvarez a third time.

Alvarez and Golovkin drew in their first fight and Alvarez won the rematch by decision.

In this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora, DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora let you know how they believe Triple-G should proceed.

[jwplayer bkQpMlRp]

 

 

 

Trainer Abel Sanchez fears for Gennadiy Golovkin in third Canelo Alvarez fight

Abel Sanchez, Gennadiy Golovkin’s former trainer, fears that things won’t go well if he fights Canelo Alvarez a third time.

Trainer Abel Sancez fears for Gennadiy Golovkin if he fights Canelo Alvarez a third time.

Golovkin’s former mentor, who was in his corner in the first two fights, said on The Pug and Copp Show podcast that the 38-year-old Kazakhstani could take a beating at the hands of the younger Mexican.

Golovkin, now trained by Johnathon Banks, and Alvarez reportedly agreed before the coronavirus pandemic took hold to fight in September.

“This one maybe will hurt. Not because I’m not with him, but [it could] hurt because he gets hurt,” Sanchez said during the podcast. “Not only [is the third meeting] the most significant, it’s the most dangerous because you’re talking about a guy who is at his peak now and believes he can do the same thing to Gennadiy that he did to [Sergey] Kovalev.

“[Alvarez] baited, baited, baited and waited for that right moment and it was destructive. I would hate to see Gennadiy go into that fight — or I would rather not see the fight — than to see Gennadiy succumb to something like that, not being prepared physically and mentally.”

Golovkin and Alvarez fought to a controversial split draw in September 2017. Alvarez won the rematch by a majority decision a year later, after which Golovkin left Sanchez.

Since then, Golovkin stopped Steve Rolls in four rounds but struggled in a taxing fight to earn a close decision over Sergey Derevyanchenko to win a vacant middleweight title in October. Some observers suggested after the latter performance that Triple-G is in decline.

Meanwhile, since the rematch, Alvarez stopped Rocky Fielding in three rounds, outpointed Danny Jacobs and stopped Kovalev in the 11th round to win a light heavyweight title in November.

Alvarez was tentatively scheduled to fight super middleweight titleholder Billy Joe Saunders in May but that fight was put on hold because of the pandemic and might not happen.