After months of jockeying and hypothesis over who would subsequent face unified tremendous middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the fighter and his promoters confirmed Thursday that Alvarez will struggle Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas.
Mexico’s Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) had been sizing up Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) for weeks, with an eye fixed towards a high-profile Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry struggle that might be staged on Mexican Independence Day weekend – which has develop into a staple on Alvarez’s annual struggle calendar.
Regardless of the eagerness of longtime WBC tremendous middleweight obligatory challenger David Benavidez to struggle Alvarez, in addition to a dalliance with William Scull and several other different doable choices, Alvarez – for higher or worse – selected Berlanga, now the WBA No. 1-ranked obligatory challenger.
“I’m very joyful for this struggle between Mexico and Puerto Rico,” Alvarez mentioned. “It’s thrilling to be a part of one other nice Mexico-versus-Puerto Rico battle contained in the ring, as a result of traditionally now we have at all times provided unforgettable fights stuffed with ardour. I’m proud to contribute to this legacy, and going through an opponent like Edgar Berlanga provides much more pleasure and which means to this occasion.”
Critics have panned Alvarez’s continued aversion to combating Benavidez and disparaged Berlanga as a too-green opponent for Alvarez, a four-division champion and pound-for-pound fixture who, regardless of displaying indicators of slowing, stays one in every of boxing’s elite fighters at age 34.
Though Berlanga, 27, most just lately aced his most troublesome problem up to now, delivering a sixth-round knockout of Padraig McCrory in February, he has but to face anybody remotely close to Alvarez’s class. Finally, the attract of Berlanga’s energy – he started his profession with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts – and Puerto Rican heritage helped make him a bankable (and thus appropriate) opponent for Alvarez.
“That is the chance of a lifetime,” Berlanga mentioned. “I should be right here, and I will shock the world and silence the critics by delivering a masterful efficiency and knocking out Canelo Álvarez on Sept. 14. I’ll show that my Puerto Rican heritage surpasses Mexican boxing, from Gomez to Trinidad to Cotto, and now to Berlanga. I’ll reclaim what’s rightfully ours. I am able to make this a historic firefight, persevering with the best rivalry in boxing: Puerto Rico vs Mexico.”
The struggle, set for Vegas’ T-Cellular Area – the place Alvarez has fought on 9 events, together with in 4 of his final 5 bouts – will headline a PBC PPV occasion on Prime Video. Within the co-main occasion, Cuba’s Erislandy Lara will defend his middleweight title towards Puerto’s Rico’s former two-division titleholder Danny Swift in a 12-round struggle.
