Trainer Johnathon Banks has worked with some of the very best in the sport, and he still does. Legends such as Wladimir Klitschko, Cecilia Braekhus and Badou Jack have all enjoyed the wisdom of the Detroit based trainer.
Banks has also recently watched over arguably one of boxing’s greatest middleweights in Gennadiy Golovkin. Rumours and even reports circulated that the 160 pound star would be hanging up his gloves.
ProBox TV News spoke exclusively with Banks on the topic of Golovkin’s potential retirement.
“Well one thing is certain, I certainly don’t speak for him.” Banks said. “I train him, it’s a very straightforward deal. In terms of him retiring or needing a break, I don’t think so. I don’t see any mental scars on him that I’ve had to deal with other fighters. When you have a mental scar with your fighter, it’s one of the worst scares, you have to rebuild the mind, brick-by-brick and step-by-step. Golovkin doesn’t have any mental scars, look at the career he had.
“This isn’t from a fans standpoint or a trainers standpoint, if I don’t think a fighter is ready mentally, I won’t do the fight. When Cecilia [Braekhus] wanted Jessica McCaskill, I said ‘no’ I didn’t think she was ready mentally. But Gennadiy never had that issue, he always fully believed in himself. He maybe coming off not the greatest performance, but I have never seen any mental scarring from him, he is very focused.”
Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) comes off a second defeat to boxing’s biggest star, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez last September. You could have comfortably argued Golovkin won the first two fights in the famous trilogy, but the last installment showed him to be far less superior to Canelo - this time round.
“This comes from a place as someone who knows how he works, not as a fan.” Banks continued “I believe he has a couple more left in him. But, that is only if he really wants to keep doing it and he really wants it. He’s had a great career, so if he did decide to stop, then I take my hat off to him. What a great fighter. I still think he is the best at 160 pounds, his last fight he moved up and fought one of the best. He did that his whole career, he fought everyone and was exciting in doing it. Like I said, he still got at least two more fights in him and that’s at the very top fighting the best. The most important thing is if he still wants to compete, if he does, I’ll happily go in the corner for him.”