Saul "Canelo" Alvarez looks to win his fourth world title in four different weight classes when he challenges Sergey Kovalev on Saturday, Nov. 2, for the WBO light heavyweight championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Celebrities all around are taking notice.
Music mogul DJ Khaled, three-time NBA champion Draymond Green, comedian Gabriel Iglesias and the CEO of Uninterrupted and Springhill Entertainment, Maverick Carter, narrate Alvarez’s quest for boxing excellence in the latest episode of DAZN’s behind-the-scenes documentary series “40 Days.”
Executive produced by LeBron James and Carter, as well as soccer star Carlos Vela, the second episode begins with a clip of a song playing while Alvarez and Kovalev are continuously hitting the heavy bags ferociously during their respective training sessions.
“When you’re attempting to do something great, you have to have a routine, and on top of that routine, there has to be a thick layer of discipline," Carter said.
Alvarez has been working with co-trainer “Chepo” Reynoso since he started boxing at the age of 13. He uses the stopwatch in intervals of 10 seconds and tells Alvarez to hit into the pad strapped around the waist of the other co-trainer, Eddy Reynoso’s waist. The vibe between Alvarez and the elder Reynoso is seamless as they go from telling Alvarez to work harder or they'll demote him with a trip to the Olympics to laughing and joking with one another. It's more than about a partnership and a quest for immortality. It's about being a family.
“You roll with somebody for like 20 years or whatever it’s been, the trust y’all have amongst each other is huge," Green said. "It’s just kind of like clockwork. Everything is like clockwork. We’ve done this a million times.
“We’ve been working for fifteen years," "Chepo" Reynoso adds. "Maybe we live together more than with the real family. So many hours together. We do feel like family.”
Kovalev was coming off a contentious split with ex-trainer John David Jackson and getting ready for his February rematch against Eleider Alvarez. Kovalev connected with McGirt, and it looks like a new Kovalev, who is 2-0 since going with his new trainer.
“If you got a new coach, you’re building that trust," Carter said. "You’re figuring out the style that each other likes. You’re figuring out how to work together."
“When I started working with Buddy McGirt, I believed in myself," Kovalev said.
Near the end of the latest “40 Days” episode, footage is shown of Alvarez taking time away from his training to play golf at The Grand Golf Club. Hitting the links helps Alvarez, who is accompanied by a golf coach, relax and get away from the rigors of a hard training camp.
“It (golf) calms you down," Alvarez said. "It helps you think, to ease you down. Because this is all about being calm and patient. Do things right, think them through. Taking your time. Yeah, it helps me a lot.
"Sometimes you miss the ball, and you get desperate. And you hit again and you miss again. So you have to calm down to hit. To start over and swing right. Because if you rush and you want to hit it, you won’t. You won’t hit it."
The final episode of “40 Days: Canelo vs. Kovalev” is scheduled to be released Oct. 31.