Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga: What the numbers tell us

Canelo Alvarez will headline a boxing card in Las Vegas for the 18th time when he places his WBC, WBO and WBA tremendous middleweight world titles on the road towards Edgar Berlanga on Saturday evening. The struggle card at T-Cell Enviornment additionally contains Erislandy Lara defending his WBA middleweight title towards Danny Garcia and an excellent middleweight bout between Caleb Plant and Trevor McCumby for the vacant WBA interim title.

Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has held titles in 4 divisions, together with the lineal championship at middleweight and tremendous middleweight. Alvarez grew to become the undisputed tremendous middleweight champion by defeating Plant by Eleventh-round TKO in November 2021. He made 4 profitable defenses earlier than the IBF stripped him of the belt in July when Alvarez determined to face Berlanga as an alternative of the IBF’s obligatory challenger, William Scull.

“I simply need to present everybody that I am nonetheless the most effective,” Alvarez mentioned throughout Wednesday’s information convention in Las Vegas. “I nonetheless love this sport. Once I cease loving it, you will know. I really like my routine and I really like going to the gymnasium day-after-day.”

Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has by no means fought for a world title. After beginning his profession 16-0, with all of his victories coming within the first spherical, Berlanga has scored only one stoppage in his previous six victories.

Berlanga, a heavy underdog (+900 per ESPN BET), is aware of he has to do one thing particular to beat Alvarez, the most effective fighters on the planet.

“That is the chance of a lifetime,” Berlanga mentioned. “It is gonna be a firefight this weekend. … I am gonna make everybody a believer. We’ve got Puerto Rico vs. Mexico and we’re going at it on Saturday evening.”

Let’s check out the title struggle by the numbers, with knowledge from ESPN Stats & Info and CompuBox.

-2000: Odds for Alvarez to win the struggle, per ESPN BET.

1,582: Complete seconds fought by Berlanga in his first 16 fights as a professional, which all ended within the first spherical, for a median of 98.9 seconds per struggle. The mixed document of all 16 opponents on the time of their fights was 175 wins, 67 loses and 15 attracts.

4: Profitable title defenses by Alvarez as undisputed tremendous middleweight champion. He is the one male boxer with 4 defenses of an undisputed title within the four-belt period (since 2007).

21: Victories by Alvarez in world title fights; at 21-2-1, he is the fourth Mexican-born fighter with 20 or extra wins in world title fights. With a win on Saturday, he would break a tie with Marco Antonio Barrera for the third most wins in world title fights by a Mexican fighter (Julio Cesar Chavez, 31; Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, 25).

11: Undisputed males’s champions within the trendy four-belt period. Along with Alvarez, they’re: Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, Teofimo Lopez, Josh Taylor, George Kambosos Jr., Devin Haney, Jermell Charlo and Naoya Inoue.

14.7: Punches landed by Alvarez per spherical out of 41 thrown (35.9%, No. 5 in accuracy amongst champions and title contenders).

4.2: Jabs landed per spherical by Alvarez out of 18.3 (23%).

10.5: Energy punches landed per spherical by Alvarez out of twenty-two.7 (46.3%), No. 6 amongst champions and title contenders.

6.6: Energy punches per spherical landed on Alvarez by his opponents (30.1%).

12.4: Punches landed by Berlanga per spherical out of 37.6 thrown (33%).

7.6: Energy punches landed by Berlanga per spherical out of 17.8 (42.7%).

5.8: Energy punches landed on Berlanga per spherical by opponents (29.9%).

• Regardless that Berlanga was born in Brooklyn, New York, his Puerto Rican descent means this struggle joins different notable Mexico-Puerto Rico title bouts.

• Compared to Alvarez’s championship expertise, Berlanga shall be preventing for a world title for the primary time in his profession. Will probably be a giant step up in competitors for Berlanga, who comes into the struggle because the No. 5-ranked tremendous middleweight, in response to ESPN.

• Canelo shall be making his eighth protection of at the very least one tremendous middleweight title. He is at present a -2000 favourite to win (per ESPN BET), which might tie for his second shortest odds to win an excellent middleweight title struggle.

In their very own phrases — from Wednesday’s ultimate information convention in Las Vegas

Berlanga on what the struggle towards Alvarez means to him: “It means every thing to be on this place. I am not purported 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.

“I could possibly be the face of Puerto Rican boxing after Saturday evening. I’ve needed that for a few years and now it is my flip to do it.”

Berlanga on his strategy forward of the struggle: “I am a knockout artist. Each fighter desires the knockout. We all know that he is a legend and we will not simply go swing for the fences. We’ve got to do it the precise means. Sixth-round knockout, that is what we’re going for. However we’re prepared for all 12 rounds if now we have to.”

Alvarez on his intention to search for the KO: “It is simple to say you will knock me out, however it’s way more troublesome to do it. Saturday evening is gonna be very troublesome for him, for certain. I’ve ready for the knockout. I really like the sensation of a knockout and I am gonna do my finest to get it accomplished.

“I all the time put one hundred pc into my fights and into coaching, irrespective of who I am preventing. It is the identical mentality each struggle. That is no exception. I’ve had an awesome coaching camp and I am prepared.”

Alvarez on preventing on Mexican Independence Day weekend: “It is an honor to struggle on this date. Mexican Independence Day is essential for us. It’s totally particular and I am very proud to struggle for the Mexican folks.

“The followers imply every thing to me and I respect them. They assist me it doesn’t matter what and I am grateful for everybody who’s supported me all through my profession.”