Last weekend, the world of boxing was in shock when Andy Ruiz Jr. pulled off the upset and defeated Anthony Joshua. In doing so, Andy Ruiz Jr. became the first Mexican heavyweight champion in history. As a result, many boxing fans began looking forward to other fights that could end in an unexpected manner. One of the few fights that could end with an unexpected alert is this week’s bout between Gennady Golovkin and Steve Rolls. However, Golovkin is on high alert and ready to go. He told reporters, “If you look at it partially, Joshua was terrible, Ruiz was great. You can look at various elements.” He added, “I’m very cautious and very respectful of my opponent. I understand his situation. I always think of my opponent as a professional. It’s very serious so I really understand it’s a dangerous situation, and I’m conscious of that. To avoid an upset this weekend, Golovkin must stick to the plan and follow these keys to victory.
Opponent Breakdown
Name: Steve Rolls
Record: 19-0 (10 KOs)
Notable Victories: None
Keys To Victory
Muscle Forward: Gennady Golovkin has made much of his career out of outmuscling his opponents. While he may have the shorter reach on fight night, he is by no means the smaller man. In all likelihood, Golovkin will enter the ring as the heavier man and he must use that his advantage. The former middleweight champion must push forward and use his power to wear down his opponent.
Use Your Head: Steve Rolls is not known for his power and he is by no means the knockout artist that Golovkin is. However, don’t be fooled by his lack of knockouts. The Canadian middleweight prospect has had no trouble getting opponents to respect his power in previous fights. More importantly, Rolls has a subtle reach advantage. It’s likely that Rolls will use his jab to set the pace and keep Golovkin at bay. To avoid being kept on the outside, Golovkin must move his head and keep Rolls guessing throughout the fight.
