3. Close the distance
Photo by Vincent Ethier
While it may seem that the closer one is to Gennady Golovkin, the more dangerous his position (and it can be), Golovkin is actually the most confident and dangerous in mid-range. At this range he can completely extend his punches, especially his right hand and lead hook, and express his punching power to the full extent.
Allowing Golovkin to have optimum distance to land his punches is a huge mistake. Besides tagging Golovkin on the outside, Lemieux should consider getting him to work closely on the inside. I wouldn’t say Golovkin is uncomfortable on the inside, but it’s definitely not his bread-and-butter.
Fortunately, Lemieux doesn’t mind being on the inside and it may work to his advantage. If he can smother Golovkin’s distance, he can take away at least one factor that helps his opponent land such powerful shots. He’ll also be successful in diminishing Golovkin’s confidence by making him feel like he isn’t fighting the fight he wants to.
Header photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
