'Canelo' looking to end Golovkin's career when they meet in 'personal' trilogy

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."

Dmitry Bivol celebrates after his unanimous decision victory against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez after their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena