Alvarez says Golovkin trilogy fight now ‘personal’

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the undisputed super-middleweight champion, claims that his rivalry with Gennady Golovkin has become “personal.”

On September 17, four years after Alvarez, 31, narrowly defeated Golovkin in their rematch after their initial fight had ended in a draw, they will square off.

Alvarez of Mexico reacted to Golovkin’s claim that he had been avoiding him in an uncharacteristically enraged manner.

“He’s talking a lot of things about me. That’s why it’s personal,” he said.

“He always talks about how I’m scared, I’m running away when I’m fighting the best guys out there and he’s fighting with Class D fighters,” added the Mexican.

Following two fights at middleweight, Kazakhstan’s Golovkin will challenge Alvarez for his WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super-middleweight titles.

Golovkin, the current WBA and IBF middleweight champion, refused to answer any “provocative” questions about Alvarez, but said he wanted to knock out his opponent and send him into retirement.

“He always pretends to be a nice guy, like in front of people,” Alvarez added.

“It is what it is. I don’t pretend to be nice – this is the way I am. I don’t pretend to be another person.

“He’s always pretending in front of you and people, ‘Oh, I’m a nice guy’. He’s not.”