By Miguel Rivera

Abel Sanchez, head trainer of IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs), expects his boxer to change a lot of minds on September 16th, when he defends his belts against Canelo Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Sanchez is anticipating a high contact fight where both boxers are going to trade punches in close.

"I expect an exciting fight, because of the styles of both boxers. I don't think that Canelo can fight a distance or avoid the exchange of punches, because his followers would never forgive him," said Sanchez to ESPN Deportes. "It's a fight that comes at a good time for the two boxers, after we've spent two years trying to make it happen. It's not that bad, compared to the five years it took to sign Pacquiao's fight against Mayweather, which came too late." 

A lot of people are starting to believe that Golovkin, now 35-years-old, is beginning to show his age.

There are critics who feel the boxer is declining and use his last two fights as proof. Last November, Golovkin has some struggles before scoring a fifth round stoppage over Kell Brook, who was moving up by two weight divisions. And this past March, he was forced to go the full twelve round distance in a competitive fight with Daniel Jacobs. The fight with Jacobs snapped Golovkin's streak of 23 knockouts.

"There are some who believe that Triple G is on the decline and use, as their argument, the fight he had against Danny Jacobs - but they are going to be in for a big surprise [on September 16th]," said Sánchez.

Canelo is predicting a knockout victory over Golovkin, but Sanchez is not concerned.

"Canelo has improved on his boxing skills, but I do not see him as a big knockout artist," Sanchez said.