For all of the people clamoring for a third fight between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin, there’s at least one person directly involved who doesn’t need to see it next.

Johnathon Banks, a former cruiserweight contender and the current head trainer to Golovkin revealed he is not on board with such a fight should it have to be his first of 2020.  

“No, they called me about it, and I said no,” Banks told IFL TV when the discussion turned to reviving the trilogy as the first piece of business once boxing returns at full strength. “The plan was for him to get this fight [versus Poland’s Kamil Szeremeta, Golovkin’s mandatory challenger] and get another fight, and then fight Canelo.”

Both boxers are under contract with over-the-top (OTT) media service DAZN and were in line to take interim fights for their first bout of this year. Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (40-1-1, 35KOs) was due to face Szeremeta (21-0, 5KOs) in the first defense of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title he regained in a disputed 12-round decision over Sergiy Derevyanchenko last October. The mandatory title defense was given a couple of working dates in the spring, only for Golovkin to reportedly suffer a calf injury and thus delaying such plans until early summer.

Mexico’s Alvarez (53-1-2, 36KOs) sought to come down from light heavyweight to challenge unbeaten super middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders (29-0, 14KOs). The fight was targeted to take place May 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, though coming with a commitment from Alvarez that—with a win—he’d agree to face Golovkin in a third fight later this year.

Alvarez and Golovkin fought to a questionable 12-round draw in September 2017. Their rematch came exactly 52 weeks later, with Alvarez winning a majority decision to end Golovkin’s alphabet title reign at 20 defenses.

Alvarez has reigned the lineal middleweight champion since a 12-round decision over Miguel Cotto in November 2015.

Plans for Alvarez-Saunders and Golovkin-Szeremeta were put on hold along with the rest of the sport in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The longer it takes for boxing—and all sporting and entertainment events—to resume at the top level, the less the chances are of the higher-profile boxers being afforded stay-busy fights given the condensed schedule.

From there has come demand for superfights to be made, with Alvarez-Golovkin III at the top of that list—though not according to Golovkin’s current coach.

"When we went to Canelo and said, ‘We’re ready,’ he said, ‘No, I don’t want to fight,’ and he disappeared and went and did whatever he wanted to do and refused to fight,” notes Banks, in a simplistic viewpoint given Alvarez’s level of opposition compared to Golovkin’s since their rematch. “Now he’s saying, ‘OK, I’m ready. After this, let’s do it.’

“G’s like, ‘No, I already have something planned [his IBF-mandated bout versus Szeremeta].”

Golovkin was out of the ring for nine months following the September 2018 loss to Alvarez. He resurfaced under the DAZN banner, armed with a multi-fight deal which began with a knockout win over undefeated but unheralded Steve Rolls last June, also his first fight with Banks as his head trainer in replacing Abel Sanchez.

Four months later came his narrow win over Derevyanchenko in one of the best fights of 2019, though one where Banks was critical of—though immediately accepting blame for—the fight night strategy implemented by the now two-time middleweight titlist.

Alvarez’s three fights following his win over Golovkin have come at three different weights: a mismatched December 2018 knockout of secondary super middleweight titlist Rocky Fielding; a competitive but clear 12-round win over Daniel Jacobs in their multi-belt middleweight unification clash last May; and an 11th round knockout of Sergey Kovalev last November to win a light heavyweight title and sew up Fighter of the Year honors. 

Plans for Alvarez to become a legitimate four-division titlist could hinge on what’s desired by the DAZN brass once boxing resumes. It will come down to whether to allow its currently delayed schedule to pick up where it left off or fast-forward to fight the OTT service has craved from the moment Alvarez signed a record-breaking contract worth in excess of $350 million.

As for as Banks is concerned, the Mexican icon should by all means pursue that route since he plans to keep his fighter on current course.

“If you want to do this, let [Golovkin] get this fight out the way,” insists the trainer. “Then, if everything is still a go—then let’s come together.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox