Andrew Cancio released by Golden Boy

Andrew Cancio  on Saturday was a WBA champion at 130 and in the main event Saturday night for Golden Boy Promotions.

On Tuesday, he was a former champion without a promotion.

Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs) found out the news while taking his team on for dinner per Manouk Akopyan of the Los Angeles Times. Cancio, like so many others this year weren’t pleased about the way they were beating promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Unfortunately for Cancio, his name isn’t Canelo Alvarez or Ryan Garcia and they decided to cut ties.

Cancio story is one that everyone in 2019 can relate. A full time construction technician at the Southern California Gas Co. so his family can have benefits who just happens to box. That boxing this year led to him winning the WBA title at 130 against Albert Machado in February of this year. Still committed to his day gig, he used his work vacation days during training camp and fulfilled media obligations on his lunch hour before fights.

His title reign was stopped this past weekend in Indio, Califorina in a rematch with Rene Alavrado, who he orginally defeated back in 2015. This time, things were different as Cancio was stopped in the 7th round.

Cancio feels the defeat was just an easy way out for Golden Boy to release him.

“This just goes to show you how little I meant to them,” Cancio said Tuesday to the LA Times. “If I would’ve won, I’m sure we would have worked things out. But since I was on the wrong side of a win that night, they just cut me. I’m a little ticked off, but I have to get back on my feet.”

Andrew Cancio pleads to with his promoter to get treated like a world champion, fight in bigger venues, then gets released.

Ryan Garcia disrespected his promoter every other week, and got rewarded with a renewal contract and co-main event slot on a Canelo card. pic.twitter.com/opxkWPBIB9

— Jamel Herring (@JamelHerring) November 26, 2019

Golden Boy was reached for their side of the story by ESPN and Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy gave their side of the story.

“He wanted bigger purses and he wanted to fight in bigger venues,” Gomez told ESPN. “He didn’t think Golden Boy was providing that for him so we released him and wish him all the best. I hope he finds what he’s looking for.

Gomez addressed they knew Cancio concerns and laid out what they have done for him in the past.

“He voiced his concerns about being with Golden Boy and he wasn’t happy,” Gomez said. “I thought we did a great job with him. We brought him back when he came out of retirement. We got him a world title shot. He was a main event on Saturday. I guess he thought it wasn’t enough for him, so we released him even though he was still under contract for a while longer.”

Those unfamiliar to that region of California, Cancio as a Blythe, California native would have fans travel to the Fantasy Springs Casino n Indio, Califorina where Golden Boy normally runs shows. That is a two hour trip down Interstate 10 and they would pack the place to see Cancio consistently.

Cancio just felt that he wanted to be on a bigger stage and it reads that Golden Boy thought they were doing enough for him. For 2020, Cancio will have a new start and is going to use this as fuel for it.

“I was a world champion who suffered a defeat, and instead of giving me a rematch like they made me do against Machado, they just cut me,” Cancio said to the Times. “I was an underdog who upset one of their guys, and they had no idea I could do it. I’ve been down before, and it’s going to motivate me even more.”