"He wasn't who he is now" - Gennadiy Golovkin recalls his sparring sessions with Canelo Alvarez ahead of Canelo vs GGG 3 

Gennadiy Golovkin is aware that Canelo Alvarez has improved a lot since they first met.

'GGG' is set to face the Mexican boxer for the third and likely final time this Saturday night in Las Vegas. The card will be broadcast from the T-Mobile Arena and airs on DAZN pay-per-view.

The two have faced off twice previously, in 2017 and 2018. The first matchup ended in a highly-controversial split draw, as many fans thought Golovkin deserved the win. With a result like that, the two had to have a rematch.

12 months later, they did exactly that. Once again, the fight was a back-and-forth battle, and this time, Alvarez claimed the win by majority decision.

The two controversial decisions, combined with the Mexican testing positive for steroids before the rematch, have made them bitter rivals.

However, there was a time when the two didn't hate each other. In fact, Golovkin and Alvarez were training and sparring partners. In an interview with DAZN, the 40-year-old looked back on those sparring sessions and admitted that his foe has grown a lot.

In the video, he stated:

"I was the more experienced one. We were sparring partners and we shared experiences with each other. I remember the sparring sessions, at the time he was a younger fighter, he wasn't who he is now."

Watch Golovkin's comments below:

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Gennadiy Golovkin discusses Canelo Alvarez's punching power

Gennadiy Golovkin doesn't rate Canelo Alvarez's punching power that highly.

The two men shared a boxing ring for 24 rounds, and that's not including their time spent sparring. Despite both champions being viewed as two of the hardest punchers in the sport, neither man was rocked or dropped across two fights.

The hardest shot across the two fights likely came in the first outing. In round nine, Alvarez landed a flush right hand that landed clean. The shot was a pivotal moment in the contest, and one of the biggest of the first installment.

In an interview with DAZN, Gennadiy Golovkin reflected on that moment. 'GGG' admitted that the shot landed flush, however, it didn't really faze him. The 40-year-old compared the punch to a slap.

In the interview, he stated:

"I remember that punch. Well, I let it get through, You know it wasn't, I don't know what to call it. It wasn't hard. It kind of felt like a slap a guess, or a sliding punch. Well, it didn't do too much."