Abel Sanchez guided Gennadiy Golovkin to world title victories and has given some of his coaching recommendations to American heavyweight competitor Roney Hines who can extend his perfect record to 10 wins Saturday
By Richard Damerell
Last Updated: 29/01/21 6:12 am
Roney Hines has honed his ring skills with acclaimed coach Abel Sanchez
Roney Hines has revealed how mentor Gennadiy Golovkin revealed some of his training mysteries after the American heavyweight went to the old GGG lair.
The 25-year-old has been unscathed at Abel Sanchez’s remote gym called ‘The Summit’, located on Great Bear Mountain in California, where Golovkin regularly used his brutal power before he wreaked havoc on the world middleweight title.
Sanchez and Golovkin parted ways with the company in 2019, months after the Kazakh star defeated Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, but the acclaimed trainer still shares his experience with a number of competitors, including among Hines who face Dell Long in his 10th professional fight on Saturday.
Gennadiy Golovkin was led to world title success by Sanchez
Hines went to Sanchez gym before his fight on Saturday
What were your first impressions of the Collection?
I think like, I can’t breathe! How am I going to make up for that?
But I stayed up there for a week. I didn’t get used to it until I was close to it.
Can you understand why Golovkin trained there?
It’s a really good place and Abel Sanchez is a good coach, a very humble and kind man.
It’s a perfect boxing gym. You don’t have to worry about extra stuff, extra people. It is very remote. Even if you want to run up and down the street, people will not bother you. It’s so quiet, it makes you focus on it.
Golovkin invited cameras to his training camp before winning the world title
What does Sanchez’s coaching style look like?
Abel Sanchez is great to work with. He likes to slip in the humor. He’s not one of those coaches where you have to worry about whether he’s crazy today. It’s always the same – cool, relaxed, and collected – and always has fun up the aisle.
He is very cool and knows what he is talking about. It can tell you something and break it down for you.
Did he give any expert advice?
My approach, all my life, I’ve been pretty high on, but I never stretch. He told me, ‘You have to lie down because of this,’ he handed me a pole, like a stick, and helped me stretch with it.
It was like: ‘You have to keep your muscles as thin as possible, for as long as possible.’
Check back for some of Golovkin’s classic KO winners!
He also taught me – I’ve only seen people like GGG do it too – neck exercises on the ring.
He would tell me, ‘A coach can tell you to do it, but it’s up to you. You are the one you will find in this ring. If there is a five percent chance that it will help you, that is a five percent chance that you can be better in the ring. ‘
It was a learning experience, a good experience.
Were you inspired by Dominic Breazeale?
I refer to him as ‘Heavy hand Dom’ because he weighs 30 pounds more than me, but his pounds, he turns them perfectly. He rolls with the punches and has veteran moves.
Breazeale, when he lands, you can see his weight behind him. His punches make you tired. I think Breazeale is going to take over Otto Wallin.
Will we see a devastating win this weekend?
I feel like I’m smarter. On Saturdays, I do an amazing concert. I have speed, I am energetic, I am very athletic. I’ll take it with you.
Roney Hines
What do you make of Britain’s two main heavy scenes?
Overall on the last achievements, I believe Tyson will come out with the win, because you can’t take Tyson Fury ‘s heart away from him. He’s going to do whatever he plans to do in that ring.
Joshua’s face against Ruiz showed that you can take Joshua’s heart away from him. You can doubt it.
Take a look back at Matt Skelton’s relentless early KO Matt Joshua
Tyson, he’s not a great puncher, but he’s a smooth boxer. It can slide and move. Joshua is more of an action figure hero. Don’t get me wrong, he can fight. He’s a good fighter, but he has experience.
Would we see you against a British competitor in the future?
Oh, for sure. As long as the opportunity presents itself. Anytime, anywhere in Britain or my backyard.
I’d like to fight in Britain, or against heavy pressure from over there. Of course I have a lot of good British fans.