Within the 11 years since he made his headlining pay-per-view debut in opposition to Floyd Mayweather, the struggle capital of the world has been largely owned, from a boxing standpoint, by the industrial presence of Mexican icon Canelo Alvarez.
That pattern will solely proceed on Saturday as Alvarez returns in yet one more Mexican Independence Day weekend pay-per-view conflict, this time at T-Cellular Enviornment, to defend his unified tremendous middleweight crown and boldly go head-to-head with a traditionally distinctive UFC 306 on the opposite finish of the world well-known Las Vegas strip at The Sphere.
The one adverse related to Alvarez’s high-profile return, a minimum of from the standpoint of his critics, has been his alternative of opponent. Edgar Berlanga, a 27-year-old unbeaten slugger, will enter as a sizeable betting underdog within the largest struggle of his profession in opposition to Alvarez whereas extra coveted matchups by followers — from David Benavidez to Terence Crawford — might want to wait.
The primary hook of the struggle’s largest promoting level is that Alvarez, 34, will add one other chapter to the celebrated boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico (and the primary since he edged out Corridor-of-Famer Miguel Cotto in 2015) when he faces Berlanga, a local of Brooklyn, New York, who proudly leans on his household’s heritage whereas courting consideration from celebrities like rapper Fats Joe.
Whichever facet of the court docket of public opinion you stand upon with regards to his resolution making, Alvarez stays assured and able to placed on one other present, some 4 months faraway from the dominant resolution win in opposition to unbeaten Jaime Munguia throughout Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas.
“I simply cannot watch for Saturday evening, that is going to be an ideal matchup for the individuals,” Alvarez stated. “Mexico vs. Puerto Rico is at all times thrilling. It is an honor to struggle on this date. Mexican Independence Day is essential to us. It’s extremely particular and I am very proud to struggle for the Mexican individuals.
“I at all times put 100% into my fights and into coaching, irrespective of who I am combating. It is the identical mentality each struggle. That is no exception.”
Whereas there was by no means a query whether or not Berlanga had the industrial potential to in the future share the ring with Alvarez, the chance got here a lot sooner than anybody would have anticipated. After opening his profession with a notable streak of first-round knockouts in his first 16 fights, Berlanga struggled at occasions in resolution wins over his subsequent 5 fights and parted methods mutually with unique promoter Prime Rank.
To Berlanga’s credit score, he rapidly signed with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sport and reunited with coach Marc Farrait. In February, he additionally started a brand new knockout streak by stopping unbeaten Padraig McCrory within the sixth spherical and has proven zero indicators of worry when going through off or buying and selling barbs with Alvarez on the construct to the struggle.
“It may be an enormous struggle Saturday and it is gonna be one thing wonderful. We’ll make historical past and turn out to be legends,” Berlanga stated. “It means every part to be on this place. I am not speculated to be right here. I have been doubted since earlier than I turned professional. However I knew that I used to be certain to finish up on this place.”
The expertise hole between the 2 fighters merely cannot be ignored as Alvarez has almost twice as many profession knockouts as Berlanga has victories. However regardless that Alvarez has been put in as excessive as a 20-to-1 betting favourite, Berlanga has a number of issues going his means on this matchup, together with every part from youth and a 5.5-inch top benefit to his assured swagger and a status as being an enormous puncher.
“I am a knockout artist. Each fighter desires the knockout,” Berlanga stated. “We all know that he is a legend and we won’t simply go swing for the fences. We’ve to do it the suitable means. Sixth-round knockout, that is what we’re going for. However we’re prepared for all 12 rounds if we have now to.”
Simply two years in the past, it grew to become a preferred opinion to overtly query whether or not Alvarez was slowing down with age, notably all through a three-fight stretch in opposition to Dmitri Bivol (Alvarez’s first loss since 2013) and in resolution wins over Gennadiy Golovkin (of their trilogy) and John Ryder. However the hand harm, which restricted his coaching throughout that stretch, seemed to be the true wrongdoer as Alvarez has bounced again with authoritative wins over Jermell Charlo and Munguia to assist him hold tempo among the many pound-for-pound high 10.
“I simply need to present everybody that I am nonetheless the most effective,” Alvarez stated. “I nonetheless love this sport. Once I cease loving it, you will know. I like my routine and I like going to the health club every single day.”
To Berlanga, the struggle is about much more than proving his critics fallacious or establishing himself, for the primary time, among the many true elite within the sport.
“I might be the face of Puerto Rican boxing after Saturday evening,” Berlanga stated. “I’ve needed that for a few years and now it is my flip to do it.”
Along with the large important occasion, PBC has loaded this card with former champions trying to knock off some ring rust after first rate layoffs. WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara appears to defend his crown in opposition to former junior welterweight and welterweight king Danny Garcia within the co-main occasion. Garcia, 36, has only one struggle within the final 4 years and will get this chance with out ever combating at 160 kilos. Elsewhere, former tremendous middleweight champion Caleb Plant appears to get again within the win column when he takes on Trevor McCumby. Plant has additionally been considerably inactive with simply two fights in three years, together with a call loss by the hands of Benavidez. The cardboard additionally options the return of former champions Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Stephen Fulton.
“Trevor himself is aware of that I am not a bum, and that is why he desires to struggle me. He desires to be on the large stage, and which means going through an actual fighter. Proper now, he is an actual fighter. He is fought solely bums, however he isn’t combating a bum now,” Plant stated on the ultimate press convention. “We’ll see what he brings on Saturday. He is undefeated and he is trying to keep that means. So he’ll come motivated.”
“We’re able to struggle. It’s extremely motivating to be on a card with all of those nice fighters and I am grateful to be up right here with them for this nice occasion,” McCumby stated. “There is not any unhealthy blood on my facet, I am simply able to struggle. Issues are gonna be stated at these press conferences and I believe Caleb must make his opponent the villain when he will get in there. I do not actually let issues get in my head like that. I am going in there to deal with enterprise.”
Let’s take a better take a look at the entire struggle card with the most recent odds earlier than attending to a prediction and knowledgeable decide on the principle occasion.
Battle card, odds
- Canelo Alvarez (c) -1800 vs. Edgar Berlanga +900, WBC, WBA and WBO tremendous middleweight titles
- Erislandy Lara (c) -250 vs. Danny Garcia +205, WBA middleweight title
- Caleb Plant -1400 vs. Trevor McCumby +750, tremendous middleweights
- Rolando Romero -250 vs. Manuel Jaimes +205, junior welterweights
- Stephen Fulton -900 vs. Carlos Castro +550, featherweights
The place to look at
- Date: Sept. 14
- Location: T-Cellular Enviornment — Las Vegas
- Begin time: 8 p.m. ET
- The best way to watch: Prime PPV (Worth: $89.95)
Prediction
Make no mistake, Berlanga possesses each the dimensions and energy to be an issue for Alvarez, notably ought to the adorned champion take him frivolously or get lured right into a little bit of a scrap early on. However, actually, these situations would characterize the intense, best-case situation for Berlanga and would require of him a sure degree of smarts and craft that he has but to place collectively in a single struggle.
Till Alvarez reveals up outdated in an enormous struggle, it is onerous to think about that occuring. Alvarez is just not solely so extremely accountable defensively, and when it comes to his head motion, he additionally owns probably the greatest chins within the historical past of the game and has by no means been knocked down, even in opposition to energy punchers like Golovkin, Danny Jacobs and the a lot bigger Bivol.
If the identical Alvarez from the Munguia struggle simply 4 months in the past enters the ring on Saturday, the fact of what he can do as an environment friendly sharpshooter and counter puncher has all of the makings to be means an excessive amount of for Berlanga to deal with.
For every part good you possibly can say about Berlanga as an athlete or as a puncher, he is visibly missing the type of poise and adaptableness essential to succeed at this degree. And will he fall behind and really feel the necessity to aggressively rally in opposition to Alvarez, all it will in all probability do is pace up his exit from the struggle.
Alvarez admitted this week that he carried Munguia for many of their Could struggle and purposely selected to not end his Mexican countryman. However given the trash speak between he and Berlanga, that is a situation that is not as more likely to happen.
Decide: Alvarez by way of TKO8
Who wins Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga, and the way precisely does the struggle finish? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed picks and evaluation from the incomparable knowledgeable who was up greater than $4,000 for $100 bettors over the previous 65 picks, and discover out.