sport news The story of Canelo vs Golovkin: From sparring partners to bitter enemies trends now

It's remarkable to think that Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, two bitter enemies on the cusp of an iconic trilogy bout, were once amicable sparring partners. 

The pair owned just two world titles between them at the time, and with a weight class and an eight-year age difference separating them, perhaps neither would have guessed some 11 years down a line a third grudge match would largely define their careers. 

But on Saturday night, taking to the Las Vegas stage once more, both fighters again put their reputations on the line as the pound-for-pound stars settle their ugly feud once and for all - or so we hope. 

A total of 24 rounds have come and gone, with Canelo currently 1-0 up having escaped with two highly contentious results - and action expected from the off as the bell rings for round 25 at the T-Mobile Arena. 

With Golovkin now 40-years-old and openly discussing a possibly imminent retirement, while Canelo is coming off a disappointing loss to Dmitry Bivol - and, of course, with the Mexican's complete set of super-middleweight belts on the line - the outcome of this weekend's extravaganza is now more important than ever. 

So, as the Canelo-Golovkin rivalry renews for another chapter, Sportsmail breaks down what has been a turbulent journey to date. 

When did Canelo and Golovkin first lock horns?

The pair first shared the ring back in 2011, when Golovkin - who had fought almost entirely in Germany and never in the USA at this point - invited a 20-year-old rising star in Canelo to his Big Bear training camp in California. 

Each were beginning to establish formidable pro records, with Golovkin, then 28, at 20-0 with 17 knockouts, while the younger Canelo had already amassed 37 fights, winning 36 and drawing a four-rounder against Jorge Juarez in just his fifth outing.  

Neither had even close to the glowing reputations they now hold, however. There was talk of excellence to come but the pair sharing the squared circle wasn't even deemed overly notable at the time. 

How things have changed. 

Who got the better of the sessions is largely irrelevant: sparring is an entirely different sport to what we see on fight night, while 2004 Olympic silver medalist Golovkin also came in with a notable weight and experience advantage.  

Golovkin's main sparring partner Lamar Russ was there at the time and later recalled some interesting observations, however. 

'Gennady cut the ring off and use his power and his weight to his advantage,' Russ told foxsports.com.au. 'He started landing power shots, hitting him on the shoulders and to the body and started breaking Canelo down.

'I saw Gennady hit him with a hook and then he would back off of him, like he wasn't trying to hurt him but wanted to establish respect and his power.'

He continued: 'One thing I can say about Canelo, he can box a lot better than Golovkin. But the thing about it is, he can't punch anywhere near as strong.'

Golovkin more recently commented on the sparring, telling SunSport: 'We had very good sparring sessions back then. Those were exciting spars to watch.'

And on their now dismantled friendship, he added: 'We had a normal relationship. But he then felt too much of himself.

'He's now a big star so the consequences of that was probably a side effect of him shooting to fame.'

How did the first fight come about?

When Canelo and Golovkin finally squared off for the first time in 2017, the pair were regarded as two of the best pound-for-pound stars in world boxing. 

Golovkin was the unbeaten, unified middleweight champion, while Canelo had suffered defeat only to Floyd Mayweather as a 23-year-old in 2013. 

They kept us waiting, however, as is often the case with a bout of such significance - though certainly not to the same extent as a Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao, for example.   

Golovkin, the IBF and WBA middleweight champion, was made the mandatory challenger to face WBC titleholder Canelo in 2016, following the Mexican's devastating win over Amir Khan. 

In fact, a mandatory bout between the pair was ordered after Canelo beat Miguel Cotto the year prior, before he and promoter Oscar De La Hoya made an agreement with the WBC that both fighters would take a tune-up bout beforehand. 

A fight would not transpire until September the following year, however, after Canelo vacated his WBC belt with a deadline to secure a bout against Golovkin looming, despite insisting a fight against 'GGG' was what he wanted.  

'For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man,' Alvarez said. 'Never has that been more true than today. I will fight GGG, and I will beat GGG, but I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines.

'I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and GGG and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see.'

Canelo would beat Liam Smith and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, while Golovkin - who was installed as WBC champion in the meantime - would defeat Kell Brook and Daniel Jacobs before they eventually took to the ring. 

Finally, after Canelo defeated Chavez Jr, a fellow Mexican who wasn't remotely in the same league as his countryman, he announced the Golovkin fight was confirmed. 

What happened in Canelo vs Golovkin 1

The history books show a split-decision draw, but in truth what we saw was a robbery. 

A fight of staggering demand lived up to its hype as Canelo and Golovkin shared an enthralling and brutal 12-rounds, only for the electric energy inside the T-Mobile Arena to be sapped in an instant. 

Canelo had his moments of success, with Golovkin needing every bit of his world-renowned chin, but it's almost unanimously agreed that GGG was the deserved winner.