“He pretends to be a nice guy,” Canelo Alvarez said of archrival Gennady Golovkin on Friday, “but he’s not. He’s an asshole.” Both boxers were at a press conference in Los Angeles to kick off the media tour for their highly awaited third bout, which will take place on September 17th in Las Vegas. The event began when Canelo and Golovkin stood on stage looking each other down. The two’s well-known antagonism was clear throughout the proceedings. “He pretends to be a nice guy and, ‘Oh, yes, I’m just looking for the fight, I’m happy,’”Canelo said, “and then in other places he talks a lot of shit. It is what it is. Just be a man and say what you say.”

Whether genuine or not, Golovkin chose the high path. “I respect him a lot,” he remarked of Canelo. “As for him saying it’s personal, I really don’t understand what he’s talking about because after the second fight, we shake hands. I believe we put everything behind us back then. If he says he has still has something against me, it’s his problem, not mine.” Needless to say, Canelo made it quite apparent throughout the event that he does indeed have something against him have an issue with Golovkin.

“It’s personal for me,” he explained. “And this is the way I am. I don’t pretend to be another person or say things in media or in other places and come here and pretend, ‘I didn’t say anything, I don’t want to say anything.’ No. It’s personal for me because he talked a lot of things. That’s why it’s personal. And I just can’t wait to be in that ring.” Canelo even went so far as to say he’ll aim for the knockout versus Golovkin when they meet for the third time…a difficult challenge for any boxer.

The first two fights between these future Hall of Famers were noteworthy to say the least. Canelo was awarded a draw at the end of their first fight in 2017, despite the fact that most – or at least a VERY vocal minority – believed the judges’ decision should have gone to Golovkin. The second match took place a year later, with similarly contentious outcomes. The judges gave Canelo an outright victory this round, which not everyone agreed with. Canelo has always had a reputation as a judges’ favorite, which is entirely his own. In reality, the man enjoys taking on significant undertakings. After all, he just lost to Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight, only to face the tough Golovkin again this autumn.

Canelo Alvarez

Santos Sal Alvarez Barragán, often known as Canelo Alvarez or Sal Alvarez, is a Mexican professional boxer. He has won many world championships in four weight classes ranging from light middleweight to light heavyweight, including three unified titles and two lineal crowns.

Amateur Career of Gennady Golovkin

Gennadiy Golovkin began boxing competitively at the age of 11 in 1993, when he won the Karaganda Regional championship in the cadet division. It took many years for him to be able to compete against seniors, and it took another seven years for him to be approved for Kazakhstan’s national boxing squad and begin competing abroad. Meanwhile, he received a degree and a PE teaching certificate from the Karagandy State University Athletics and Sports Department. In November 2002, he was awarded a scholarship under the Olympic Solidarity program.