Abel Sanchez, trainer for IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, says his fighter was prepared to engage in a wild war in September 2017, when he squared up in the ring with Canelo Alvarez.

He says Canelo changed his entire style around and robbed the fans of a fireworks filled fight. The contest would end in a controversial twelve round split draw.

They are scheduled to fight for a second time on September 15th, in the main event of an HBO Pay-Per-View card from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In preparing for the last fight, Sanchez studied hours of tape of Canelo's past performances.

He claims Canelo changed everything around for the Golovkin fight.

“He fought 40-some fights in a particular style and, all of a sudden, he changes it to be more of a boxer that’s running away,” Sanchez said to the LA Times.

“I think that what he promised the fans before that fight, and what he’s promising the fans before this fight, is completely different than how he fought the fight. At least try to knock the man out. Don’t throw punches in desperation. I think that if he tries to knock Golovkin out, they’re going to be within each other’s range and somebody’s going to hit somebody. Maybe he does have the power to knock Golovkin out. I don’t know. But he has to try.”

This time around, Canelo has promised to throw a lot more punches to score a knockout inside the distance.

Does Sanchez expect him to be more aggressive?

“Honestly, I’m not. The onus is on him because the fans are ripping him as it is right now, on social media. If he does it again, the fans are going to continue ripping him. If he’s willing to put up with, that’s OK. There’s nothing we can do about that," Sanchez said.