Golovkin skips birth of daughter to train for title fight
WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin attends a news conference at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on September 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Golovkin will defend his titles against Canelo Alvarez at T-Mobile Arena on September 16 in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP
Gennady Golovkin is one of the most dedicated boxers in the world and even the birth of his daughter couldn’t pry him out of the gym.
The three-belt champion missed the birth on Friday because he was training for his upcoming world middleweight title fight.
Golovkin stayed in the gym for two hours after his wife, Alina, gave birth to the couple’s second child. They also have a son.
“He didn’t leave the gym until 6 pm,” Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez said. “The baby was born at 4 pm.
“His wife was in the hospital for one day. She came home next day so he was home with them.”
Golovkin, who holds the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation middleweight belts, will face Canelo Alvarez in a 12-round mega title fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Sanchez said he was concerned during the long training camp about how Golovkin was doing with the baby on the way and the most important fight of his career around the corner.
“I started to voice my concern. ‘The baby’s not here’. He said ‘coach the baby is going to come whether I am there or not. I have already done my part.'”
Sanchez said Golovkin has been in high spirits as the fight preparation shifted this week from their training camp to Las Vegas.
“He is in a great mood. I don’t know if it is because of the baby being here or if because he finally got the fight he wanted,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez says Golovkin is a good father and just as dedicated to his family as he is to his work.
“Golovkin is a family man. He has always been very, very, very focused,” Sanchez said.
“He has never been the type of guy to go out at night. You are never going to lose him for a day.
“He just bought his first car six months ago. He didn’t have a car before because he said he spends all his time in the gym.”
Golovkin declined to speak about the birth at a news conference on Wednesday at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
“Please don’t ask me about my family. I am just focused on boxing,” he said.
