Álvarez fighting for his legacy

Golovkin scoffed at his opponent’s version of events.

“Almost signed?” he jokingly asked through an interpreter. “He couldn’t find a pen to sign the contract? I don’t think you should pay a lot of attention to what he’s saying.”

Golovkin (42-1-1) was the betting favorite in the first two fights. The Kazakh is the underdog Saturday. The difference: Álvarez is thought to be in his prime while Golovkin’s best days are considered behind him.

Golovkin turned 40 in April, one day before scoring a knockout win in the ninth round against Ryota Murata in Japan. Golovkin started slow before overwhelming Murata, a solid but unspectacular titleholder.

“He’s still a dangerous fighter,” said Eddy Reynoso, Álvarez’s trainer. “Look at what he did in Japan. He’ll be a dangerous fighter until he retires.”

The 32-year-old Álvarez is coming off his second career loss against Dmitry Bivol in May. But that was as a light-heavyweight. He returns Saturday to super middleweight (168 pounds), where he is the undisputed champion. Golovkin, meanwhile, has never fought professionally as anything but a middleweight (160 pounds).

“I don’t know when I’ll knock him out,” Álvarez said, “but it’ll be over before 12 rounds.”

Animosity marked the second fight months after Álvarez tested positive twice for a performance-enhancing drug. He was suspended for six months, forcing the cancellation of the original fight date in May. Álvarez claimed he ate tainted meat in Mexico. Golovkin said Álvarez was caught cheating.

The sequence sparked a deeper feud between the fighters. Four years later, Álvarez’s disdain for Golovkin remains.

“It’s personal for me because he talks s— about a lot of things,” Álvarez said.

The hostility is onesided, at least publicly. Golovkin has shrugged off repeated questions about Álvarez’s scorn. He has smiled when told Álvarez said he’s going to end his career Saturday; he plans to continue fighting regardless of the result. His camp hasn’t engaged in the banter unlike when he had Abel Sanchez in his corner before the first two fights.

The unfiltered Sanchez challenged Álvarez for not being a “Mexican style” fighter, but instead a counterpuncher, and not being aggressive in the first bout. Sanchez argued Golovkin was a more Mexican fighter, drawing rebukes from Álvarez and Reynoso. The storyline surfaced during Thursday’s news conference when a fan, after Golovkin answered a question, yelled “Mexican style!” from the back of the theater.

But Álvarez changed his approach for the second fight, and chased down Golovkin.

The tactic produced the best win of his career, bolstering his legacy. A victory Saturday, however, would do only so much.