He crossed the stage with studied disdain and made his way to where Golovkin was waiting for him. These are two of the greatest fighters of the century and this trilogy has been shaking for years. Golovkin, and most boxing pundits and fans, believed he won their first fight in September 2017 – only because it was, controversially, ruled a draw. The rematch, exactly one year later, ended in a narrow victory for Canelo. They were both memorable fights, but Golovkin turned 40 this year and Álvarez is eight years his junior. However, all week, Golovkin has cut an impressively composed figure that looks ready to engineer one last special performance full of his enduring excellence. Álvarez has shown much more emotion and raw hostility towards Golovkin. Suddenly, as their eyes locked together in a way that showed they could see deep into each other’s buried selves, Canelo’s right hand closed into a fist. It seemed an almost unintentional gesture but it was also impressive. Nothing changed in his expression, but as the confrontation intensified, it was hard to look away from the tension in that tightly clenched fist. Instead, Golovkin’s left arm hung loose and free. I thought back to Alvarez’s words the previous evening: “I just want to punish him very harshly. That’s the only thing going through my mind. I’m very close to doing it now.” The Mexican, who is defending all four of his belts as the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world, paused before dropping Golovkin again. “He pretends to be a good person and he’s not. He speaks volumes for me, and that’s why I don’t like him. He’s a good fighter, he’s a great fighter, that’s for sure. But, as a human being, I don’t believe it.” Canelo Álvarez lands a punch on Gennady Golovkin in the 12th round during their fight in Las Vegas in 2018. Photo: Isaac Brekken/AP That animosity is mixed with Álvarez’s respect for Golovkin’s extraordinary technical ability and relentless will. Canelo was used to opponents cowering before his fearsome aura. And against those who were brave or skillful enough to press him hard, he remained patient in the certainty that he would eventually crush them. However, Golovkin is no ordinary fighter. The current IBF world middleweight champion believes he has beaten Álvarez twice and that belief has rubbed off on him as he moves up in weight to face his opponent again. Álvarez is stepping down from light-heavyweight where four months ago he clearly lost to Dmitry Bivol, a naturally much bigger world champion from Kyrgyzstan. Bivol’s mother is from Kazakhstan, Golovkin’s home country, and the two men are similar in the dispassionate and methodical menace they offer. But Canelo’s anger is fueled more by the knowledge that a second straight loss would be a personal disaster. Bivol’s size was a crucial factor in just the second loss of Álvarez’s career spanning 17 years and 61 fights. Losing to a middle-aged Golovkin would be devastating. Álvarez nodded when I asked if it took him weeks to get over the pain of the Bivol fight – his only previous loss, to Floyd Mayweather Jr, was in 2013 when he was so much less experienced. “Yes of course. Nobody wants to lose, nobody likes to lose. So I felt a lot of pain after Bivol, because I love what I do and I don’t want to lose. But you have to keep going and keep fighting.” Had it made him more intense? “Yeah,” Canelo said quietly, glancing at me, before repeating himself. “Yes. I feel hungrier and more dangerous now. I don’t need to show people anything, but I need to show myself. I’m very happy to be back in the ring.” His original preference was to fight Bivol again. “I really wanted that rematch, but Eddie Hearn [his promoter] he says we have this contract to fight Golovkin in September. That’s why we’re here. And I’m happy. It’s a rare moment to have this trilogy. Canelo Álvarez trains in San Diego in August. Photo: Kristian Carreon/Reuters “It’s one of the biggest fights of my life because of our rivalry. Of our three matches this will be the most important. The fact that he goes into the fight thinking it might be his last makes him even more dangerous. But it’s the same for me. I’ll leave it all in the ring.” Golovkin has played down the suggestion that he is heading for retirement. Álvarez, meanwhile, intends to knock out Golovkin. “I go into every match with that goal, but it’s become personal. From the first round I will be looking for that break.” Golovkin, who rarely loses control of his emotions, smiled at the suggestion that Álvarez allowed their third fight to become so deeply personal. He may struggle to withstand the ferocity coming to T-Mobile Arena – the same arena for their first two fights – but Golovkin believes Álvarez’s aggressiveness will give him the openings he needs. The best of our sports journalism from the last seven days and a heads-up of the weekend’s action Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. But for Álvarez, who is so acutely aware of his place in boxing history, victory is essential. “This third match is very important for me, for my country, for my heritage. I have to win very convincingly.” Until his loss to Bivol, Álvarez was widely considered the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He has since fallen down that list in the opinion of many – which also makes him confusing. “I still think I’m the best fighter in the world because nobody does what I do in boxing. Nobody takes risks like me. I don’t need to take any chances [because he makes so much money]. But I like to take on a challenge and that’s why I feel like I’m still the best.” I got to know Álvarez a little better during several interviews over the past 18 months. The more it opens, the easier it is to like. He has a real intelligence and, away from the ring, a gentleness that is most evident in his aggressive and tender interactions with his daughters. But he’s very serious between those knotted ropes, and as a way to generate the animosity he needs after boxing professionally since he was 15, Álvarez is stoking his own fire. Canelo Álvarez is preparing for his fight against Gennady Golovkin in San Diego in August. Photo: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images In May 2021, against Billy Joe Saunders, he watched the dedicated Englishman get pissed off in match week and quietly listened to his chatter. He didn’t want Sanders to be taken from the arena in an ambulance with a broken orbital bone. But he didn’t show much sympathy afterwards for Saunders – who hasn’t been bitten again since that wild night. A year ago, when he became the first undisputed world champion in the super middleweight division, Álvarez enjoyed a clinical but brutal victory over Caleb Plant – the previously unbeaten American who had also tried to get under his skin. Plant was performing well, but the referee saved him in the 11th round. He will be back in the ring next month. A beating from Canelo is not easily overcome. Bivol was different. He remained polite and aloof and refused to engage in any pre-fight aggression. His fists traded a much more dangerous language and told their own painful story. Golovkin is cut from the same stoic cloth, but he can’t resist the odd spike. His suggestion that Álvarez had “avoided this fight for four years” elicited a less measured response from the fiery, pale-skinned, red-haired Canelo: “He’s an asshole.” When asked if he needed talk like that to get him back into that dirty old job, Canelo nodded. “I kind of like it. I train harder and go into a match feeling more dangerous.” My informal opinion is that Álvarez will march to victory in a grueling fight. They are both great fighters, headed for the wrong side of the hill, but eight years is a telling difference. Golovkin may turn back time and find the sweetest revenge in the final scene of this hard-fought trilogy, but Álvarez’s packed and twitchy punches hold the exciting key. If he can control the emotion flowing through him, he will surely have too much strength and courage for the greatest champion. Could Álvarez and Golovkin strike up a friendship once their careers are over – the way Érik Morales and Marco Antonio Barerra, those two little Mexican warriors, did after their trilogy of fights? “Maybe,” Canelo said with a shrug, as if it was a Golovkin issue. “I’m fine with that.” Those benign and peaceful days are still far away. Álvarez slipped back into a dark and gloomy mood soon after. He canceled his remaining media commitments for the day and went in search of some fleeting peace. There had been quite a bit of chatter and posturing. His fists were clenched and ready for a heated one-on-one with Golovkin. It was time for some much needed silence before they finally settled their many differences in the ring.
