Saul "Canelo" Alvarez said he plans to send Gennady Golovkin into retirement when the two boxing greats close out their personal trilogy on September 17.
Five years after their first bout ended in a controversial draw, Mexican superstar Alvarez and heavy-hitting Kazakh Golovkin meet for the third and most likely final time in Las Vegas on September 17 to settle their rivalry once and for all.
The bout will see Golovkin move up a division to super-middleweight, aiming to dethrone Alvarez of his WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO belts.
The long-awaited contest at the T-Mobile Arena will draw a line under a rivalry that has become increasingly acrimonious over the years.
Hints of that tension flared on Friday as the two men came face-to-face, going nose-to-nose for nearly two solid minutes before a press conference got under way.
In an expletive-laden press conference, Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 knockouts) said he plans to send the 40-year-old Golovkin into retirement by knockout.
"And I will do it for sure," Alvarez said. "That's the only way I want to finish this fight."
Alvarez added that beating Golovkin had become personal, accusing the Kazakh of trash-talking against him in certain situations.
"It's personal for me," Alvarez said. "This is the way I am. I'm not pretending to be another person or saying things in the media and then come here and pretend I didn't say anything.
"He's two different people. He pretends to be a nice guy, but he's not, he's an [expletive].
"He pretends to be a nice guy and then other times he talks a lot of [expletive]. Just be a man and say what you say."
Bivol outclasses Canelo Alvarez - in pictures
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Dmitry Bivol celebrates after his unanimous decision victory against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. All images by AFP -
Canelo Alvarez reacts after the WBA light heavyweight title fight against Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol celebrates after his unanimous-decision victory against Canelo Alvarez after their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Canelo Alvarez punches Dmitry Bivol during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol punches Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Canelo Alvarez picks up Dmitry Bivol during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol throws a left at Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol exchanges punches with Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Canelo Alvarez reacts after the WBA light heavyweight title fight against Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol punches Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol throws a left at Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Canelo Alvarez exchanges punches with Dmitry Bivol during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol throws a right at Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena. -
Canelo Alvarez makes his ring walk before his WBA light heavyweight title fight against Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena. -
Dmitry Bivol makes his ring walk before his WBA light heavyweight title fight against Canelo Alvarez at T-Mobile Arena.
Golovkin, the reigning WBA and IBF middleweight champion, was on the receiving end of another controversial decision in the pair's second fight in September 2018, losing by majority decision to the Mexican.
Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 knockouts) insisted their third meeting was purely business.
"I don't think this is personal," Golovkin said. "This is sport. I am who I am. I don't try to be different guys. I go out to box.
"If he has something personal against me that's his problem not mine."
Golovkin last fought in April, scoring a ninth round knockout of Japan's Ryota Murata.
Alvarez meanwhile will be fighting for the first time since being outclassed by Dmitry Bivol last month in what turned out to be an ill-fated jump up to the light-heavyweight division.
Alvarez said he wanted to get back in the ring quickly despite the comprehensive nature of his defeat to Bivol.
"It was very important, a lot of people take one or two years to get back after a loss," he said. "But I am in boxing because I want to be one of the best fighters in history."
