Abel Sanchez believes his former charge Gennady Golovkin has to “not try and be a boxer” in his fights, especially in “Triple G’s” scheduled third fight with Canelo Alvarez (scheduled for September, but reliant on GGG beating Ryota Murata in April and Canelo beating Dmitry Bivol in May). Speaking with Fight Hype, Sanchez said Golovkin’s “strength is his strength” and that the version of GGG who walked guys down is what is needed for Golovkin to beat Canelo this year.
Sanchez, who says he had Golovkin winning both fights with Canelo (the first fight being a draw and then a close decision win going Canelo’s way in the sequel) said GGG has to go back to what worked so well for him in the past, when he was a feared middleweight.
“Gennady walks you down and then he beats the hell out of you and you succumb to Gennady,” Sanchez said last night. “When he’s trying to box now, and he’s taking shots, that’s not good for him. In my opinion, when you’re trying to be something that you’re not……Gennady’s not a boxer…… maybe he was a boxer when he was an amateur, and earlier in his career, but Gennady developed a style, a way of fighting that made guys not only fear him in the ring but fear him outside the ring. [In his recent fights], Gennady was not walking anybody down, he was trying to be skilled, trying to be a boxer, and he can box, but why take shots that are not necessary?
“Canelo’s got to the point now where, in my opinion, the only guys that can beat him are [Artur] Beterbiev, [David] Benavidez, and a well-trained Golovkin; not well-trained as far as who he’s working with now, because he has a great coach right now. What I’m talking about is going back to what got him to stardom – not to be the boxer but to walk Canelo down. Those are the only people that can beat Canelo, the ones who walk him down.”
Interesting stuff, as one would expect from such a knowledgeable trainer. But can Golovkin, who turns 40 this April, get back to being the walk you down and punish you fighter he once was? Also, how will it affect GGG fighting Canelo up at 168 pounds? We fans are waiting to see how Golovkin looks in the Murata fight, if GGG looks to have his old fire back. If he looks good and has benefited from the long months of rest he has had outside of the ring, then the hype will begin for that GGG-Canelo III fight.
But we must also wait and see how Canelo looks against Bivol. Maybe, if Canelo has a tough time of things with the Russian, and if he takes some shots, fans will be willing to give GGG a shot at beating him (again, if you feel GGG won the first two fights)?
Is Sanchez right, can only guys who “walk Canelo down” beat him?