Trainer Abel Sanchez told us just last week that middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin would likely be announcing his next title defense – April 26 against Andy Lee – this week. But over the weekend Golovkin decided to stay in his native Kazakhstan to observe a 40-day mourning period for the sudden loss of his father, Gennady Ivanovich Golovkin.
The elder Golovkin was just 68 when he died of a heart attack on Feb. 18.
“Everything in regard to Gennady’s boxing career is currently on hold,” said Tom Loeffler, an executive with K2-Promotions, which promotes Golovkin. “His priority is to spend time with his family and at the appropriate time he will advise us when he is ready to continue his boxing career.”
Golovkin is trained by West Covina’s Sanchez out of his gym in Big Bear.
