Canelo Alvarez, GGG eager to stop talking, start fighting

Canelo Alvarez is surely sick of staring at Gennady Golovkin by now, something he acknowledged Thursday toward the end of the final promotional news conference before they fight for his undisputed super middleweight championship Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

“I just want to be in the fight,” Alvarez said with a smirk. “I am ready.”

That much seemed obvious inside the MGM Grand’s Ka Theater, where neither Alvarez nor Golovkin seemed interested in bantering. They’ve been doing that publicly since May, when their trilogy was announced and their rivalry renewed.

But the promotion is almost over — and with it the five years of tension building between the bitter rivals.

That said, their final news conference — moderated by promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing — lacked the drama that has accompanied other elements of their rivalry, namely the two controversial rulings that necessitated the trilogy.

The 32-year-old Mexican and 40-year-old Kazakh concluded with one more 30-second staredown, drawing cheers from the hundreds of spectators who attended — a promotional event that fans aren’t usually welcome to attend.

They’re also welcome to attend the weigh-in at 1 p.m. Friday at Toshiba Plaza.

“Finally, finally right now, Saturday night, I think this is the biggest day for boxing right now,” said Golovkin, the unified 160-pound champion debuting as a super middleweight.

“I feel very comfortable. I feel strong. I feel ready.”

Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 knockouts) was flanked by trainer Johnathon Banks, who downplayed the significance of the extra eight pounds Golovkin will carry against Alvarez. Golovkin has campaigned exclusively at middleweight since debuting in 2006 as a professional.

His first two fights with Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) were contested at 160 pounds.

“I don’t think it’s going to make a difference,” Banks said. “Both guys are ultimate competitors. (Alvarez) comes out aggressive with anybody else. Why wouldn’t he come out aggressive now? … However he comes, (Golovkin) is ready for it. He’ll meet the challenge.”

Alvarez has indeed professed a desire to end Golovkin’s storied career with a knockout, something he reiterated again Thursday.

“The pressure I put on myself is to finish this inside the distance before the 12 rounds,” Alvarez said. “I know it’s going to be very difficult. But nothing in life is easy. I always look to achieve what’s difficult. … I’ve got a really tough rival in front of me, a strong and intelligent opponent. But that will be my aim on Saturday night.”

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.