/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60516593/846630592.jpg.0.jpg)
With trainer Abel Sanchez feeling strongly that Gennady Golovkin beat Canelo Alvarez the first time around last year, he doesn’t intend on shaking things up in order to get Golovkin prepared for the rematch. In fact Sanchez wants Golovkin to mostly do more of the same and believes that should be sufficient to get the job done.
“Some adjustments obviously will be made in camp but Gennady fights in a style that is not only fan-pleasing but a style that he has mastered with a 23-knockout streak, in, what, 20 defenses, making it the 21st on the 15th. I think that’s the best in history. He’s tied Hopkins’ record. He’s got a knockout ratio, the best in middleweight history.
”I think the changes are going to be minimal. But I think it’s all going to depend if Canelo brings his courage.”
Sanchez has been trying to goad Canelo into slugging it out with Golovkin in this rematch — which would likely benefit his fighter — but I wouldn’t count on Canelo taking the bait. Even if you strongly believe Canelo lost to Golovkin in the first outing, Canelo clearly found spots to be effective and largely neutralized Golovkin’s thudding power, and that’s something I expect him to try to build upon in the sequel.
As for Golovkin, he obviously doesn’t need to make wholesale changes to his approach for this upcoming fight — he’s been successful for a reason — but do you think if Golovkin largely puts on the same performance as he did the last time that it’ll be enough to earn him the win this time around?