A clash with Sergey Kovalev was something that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez never really gave much thought until he was asked about such a matchup earlier this year.

It certainly wasn’t on his mind the first time they crossed paths more than seven years ago.

“I was training for the Mosley fight, if I'm not mistaken,” Alvarez (52-1-2, 35KOs) recalled of the first time they met while discussing their upcoming Nov. 2 light heavyweight title fight, which streams live on DAZN from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I would go there to train, and at the same time when I would get there, (Kovalev) would be leaving.

“We would greet each other. There was nothing in particular special, but that's where we met, and that's where we got to know each other.” 

Kovalev (34-3-1, 29KOs) was an unknown figure in most boxing circles at the time, although that would change beginning with his next fight. Highlights of his 2nd round knockout over Darnell Boone were shown live on NBC Sports Network, with their June 2012 rematch serving dual purpose—proving more convincing than his off-the-canvas split decision win over Boone in their first fight two years prior; and also moving past his fatal knockout win over countryman Roman Simakov, who never regained consciousness and passed away just three days after their Dec. 2011 in Russia.

The repeat win over Boone marked a stretch where every fight moving forward was carried by a U.S. televised medium of some sort. His career soared to new heights following a 4th round knockout of Nathan Cleverly in Aug. 2013 to win his first light heavyweight title, on the road in Cardiff, Wales.

Kovalev’s upcoming bout with Alvarez–the reigning World middleweight champion who moves up two weight divisions for the challenge—will mark the second attempted title defense of his third tour as a light heavyweight titlist. Some question just how much he has left at age 36, especially against a young lion like Alvarez, who—even in moving up in weight—enters as a 4-1 betting favorite while also presently serving as among the very best pound-for-pound boxers in the world today.

Still, it’s a journey that his upcoming opponent can appreciate, as it’s a bout that allows their own relationship to come full circle.

“He was a four- to six-round fighter then, and then we saw that he was moving up,” points out Alvarez (writer’s note: Kovalev was already a steady eight-to-ten round fighter by then). “He was going to become champion, and we as a team really liked that, to see someone who was fighting at (that) level become the world champion.

“I mean, and one of the best, as well. So we really liked that as a team.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox