CANELO ALVAREZ has admitted his rivalry with Gennady Golovkin is “very personal” ahead of their epic trilogy bout.
The pair shared 24 iconic rounds which started with Golovkin unfairly walking away with just a draw in their 2017 original.
But in the rematch a year later, Canelo emerged with bragging rights in another fiercely competitive and contested classic.
A trilogy had always evaded GGG up until the two finally agreed terms to extend their series once again.
And Canelo revealed the back and forth since their last fight has taken the feud to another level – but feels better off for it.
He told DAZN: “It’s always been very personal with him. That will never go away.
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“After we finished the two fights, it still feels the same. He has never stopped talking about me. If you see, I never mentioned his name.
“I’ve always been in his mouth, he’s always talked about me, and that makes it even more personal.
“The fact that there is this rivalry puts an extra element there. It makes me train harder. I try harder.
“Personally, I sometimes feel better that it exists.”
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Canelo, 31, signed to face Golovkin, 40, on September 17 as part of a two-fight deal with Eddie Hearn.
The first contracted bout was against WBA light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol in May, which the Mexican was favourite to win.
But Bivol, 31, boxed his way to an upset on the cards in Las Vegas as Canelo saw his cloak of invincibility vanish overnight.
It also saw him harshly drop out of the conversation as pound-for-pound king.
But four-division champ Canelo hit back and insisted he is still the best in the business and should not be punished for his courageousness.
He said: “I do it. I risk everything to keep making history when I don’t need to risk anything. I’ve already achieved so many things.
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“I’m in a position where I don’t have to risk anything, and I still do it, and nobody does that when they are in a position like the one I’m in.
“So personally, I still feel I’m the best in the world.”
Dmitry Bivol stunned Canelo Alvarez on points
