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Canelo Álvarez - Edgar Berlanga summary online, round by round, stats and highlights

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 14: Edgar Berlanga sits on the canvas as referee Harvey Dock guides WBC/WBA/WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez to a neutral corner during the third round of a title fight at T-Mobile Arena on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.   Steve Marcus/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Steve Marcus / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Canelo Álvarez is still king of the super middleweights

Canelo not slowing down at the top

Speculation over whether or not Canelo Álvarez was nearing the end of his reign at the top of the super middleweight division seems to have been much exaggerated. Showing no signs of slowing down, the man from Guadalajara took the fight to one of the division's hardest hitters and completely battered him.

Edgar Berlanga was in the fight, throwing back shots, and warming into the war as the rounds wore on. He was enough to frustrate Canelo, enough to even knick a few rounds off of him, but in the end, he was cast aside by Canelo who dropped him in the third and systematically took him to school for the remainder of the evening.

The two fighters showed great respect for each other at the end and while the fight was a little salty, with Canelo even looking more angry than we are used to seeing, in the end, Canelo just shrugged and said, "I got mad. I'm Mexican."

The crowd ate it all up, and why shouldn't they? Mexican Independence Day, a great win by Canelo Álvarez, it is all perfect. While the IBF may have taken their belt away to prevent this being undisputed, but there is no doubt that there is only one king, and he is Canelo Álvarez.

Viva el Rey, y Viva Mexico, cabrones!

Jeffrey May
Who should Canelo Álvarez face as his next opponent?

In a sport governed by weight, options for Canelo Álvarez are thin on the ground. Does he stay put and risk his legacy or move up and risk it all? We take a good look at it all here.

Jeffrey May
Why does Canelo Álvarez have Chewbacca in his entourage?

After another masterful performance in the ring by Canelo Álvarez, fans were all asking questions about the hairy individual holding the belt aloft. Read all about it here.

Jeffrey May

GOODBYE

That is going to do it for our live coverage of Canelo Álvarez vs Edgar Berlanga. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Keep abreast of all boxing and sports news with Diario AS USA and stick with us as we bring you a full calendar of top-notch boxing live.
We will return with live boxing coverage soon. Until then, good night and God bless!

Jeffrey May

Viva Mexico Cabrones!

Happy Independence Day

Jeffrey May

What a war!

Props to Berlanga

Jeffrey May

Canelo still king

Viva el rey!

Jeffrey May

AND STILL: Canelo Álvarez wins by UD

The judges scored it 118-109, 118-109, and 117-110 all for Canelo Álvarez. The super middleweight king still reigns!

Jeffrey May

As this goes to the school cards to have this very lopsided with Berlanga winning only three rounds but let's see what the judges say.

Jeffrey May
R12

The final round and honestly Berlanga needs a knockout to win. Canelo looks more like the man who is going for the knockout, more like the fighter who really wants one.

Berlanga throws the right hand and catches Canelo cleanly. Canelo tries to come back and Berlanga catches him again with another right hand. This is a very good stretch from Berlanga!

Canelo is not hurt but he is certainly feeling these shots! The evidence is all over his face.

As the seconds tick down, Berlanga is looking for that big shot. They go to slugging it out as the 10 second clapper sounds and the fight ends with the two toe to toe! They immediately hug and show each other great respect as the fight ends. Both men smiling and talking to each other, nodding. Very happy!

Jeffrey May
R11

Canelo comes out throwing, but this is looking more like Berlanga is the more comfortable of the two fighters. Canelo is clearly winning the fight but he's looking quite frustrated and as the fight wears on, Berlanga is looking the more fresh.

Canelo's quick hands are still finding their man, but Berlanga's quick feet are keeping him out of trouble.

As the round ends the two men square off giving each other lots of lip. Berlanga has clearly gotten under Canelo's skin.

Jeffrey May
R10

We are into the championship rounds now. Berlanga has only been this far twice in his career, but this is comfortable terrain for Canelo.

Canelo is still energetic, still ducking and moving, looking fresh. Berlanga catches Canelo with a peach of a left hook, but the man from Guadalajara just munches it up like Pac-Man and continues advancing.

They go toe to toe and the fight moves to an inside battle, a battle that Canelo is very comfortable with. Flicks out that left jab and then follows it with a left uppercut to the ribs.

Canelo oddly starts to walk away! It looked as if he heard the bell, Berlanga jumps straight onto him landing a left hook. He didn't hear the bell of course he was just being cute. Canelo was making a statement that he was bored that nothing was coming back at him and Berlanga made him pay for that hubris.

Jeffrey May
R9

Canelo starts a little faster this round. The wily old campaigner took something of a rest for the last three rounds, but has now got a second wind behind him.

Canelo lands a solid combination, but Berlanga comes back with a hard right hand of his own.

Berlanga hasn't slowed and lands a lovely counter left as Canelo walks his way in.

A left uppercut and overhand right from Canelo lands cleanly. He pushes Berlanga into the corner and taps away at the body.

Jeffrey May
R8

Again Berlanga comes out throwing hard shots to start the round. Lands a stiff jab and a good one-two combination to follow it up. This has been a good stretch from Berlanga.

Canelo's assault has slowed but he remains dangerous, digging those hard uppercuts to the body and ignoring the head almost entirely.

The two fighters come together and their heads clash. The referee immediately calls time and gives Berlanga a warning. He clearly felt that it was intentional.

Canelo continues to dig at the body land in the hooks to the ribs from both sides.

Jeffrey May
R7

Berlanga opens up with a left uppercut to the body. Canelo continues to march forward, throwing those big hands, but now Berlanga seems to be wearing them a bit better. The pace of the fight has slowed and more of Berlanga's jabs are finding their mark.

Canelo has never been down in his career. Berlanga throws a massive right cross and goes flying to the floor! It was definitely a slip and is ruled as such, but it takes Berlanga a few seconds to get himself up off the floor. Did that do any damage?

Jeffrey May
R6

Those quick jabs that Berlanga is throwing out there are finding their mark, with Canelo's face showing signs of wear. A massive shiner on his right eye testament to the power that Berlanga holds in his gloves.

Now the wind is perhaps shifting as Berlanga manages to land three very solid shots: a jab and two big right hands. Canelo comes back with a response, but Berlanga lands another left hook. This is his best round so far!

Canelo comes in, swiping with that left hook and Berlanga manages to counter nicely, poking a jab into his face. Nobody has yet cracked the Canelo code but Berlanga's having a good old shot at it!

Jeffrey May
R5

 Canelo comes out and lands a blazing left hook before doubling it up and landing a one-two behind it. His hand speed is so impressive!

Berlanga is trying to match him, throwing up very fast jabs and twitching backwards, trying to stay out of range of those dangerous hands.

Canelo is staying compact marching his man down, slowly cutting off the ring and eliminating all of Berlanga's options.

Jeffrey May
R4

Berlanga seems to have woken up slightly from that last round, more sharp, looking to get going here. Canelo is staying clinical, keeping his head and moving quickly but with no urgency. He has been in too many big fights, too many big moments to fall into the trap of thinking that he has won the bout and he knows that Berlanga is a very dangerous man.

Jeffrey May
R3

Berlanga is perhaps more cautious than he has been in most of his career. Known as a knockout artist he has always been the one who would put the fight onto someone else. He is showing extreme respect to Canelo Alvarez.

And with good reason as Canelo lands a thumping right hand that sends Berlanga to the floor! It was so incredible, the speed of that shot! Canelo has power but his speed is the real killer,

Berlanga gets up and beats the count, but Canelo comes back in and catches him again flush with a blazing left hook and Berlanga is in all kinds of trouble!

Almost against the odds, he makes it to the end of the round.

Jeffrey May
R2

Both fighters remain cautious as Canelo stays compact. He flicks out that left hook and is now caught with a jab on the way out.

Another very nice jab from Berlanga finds its mark, and Canelo immediately responds with a sharp one-two.

Canelo stays on the front foot, walking Berlanga down, flicking that jab into his face.

Jeffrey May
R1

Both men come out quiet conservative probing. This is a big moment both men know it. Neither is going to be too hasty, leaving the door open for their opponent.

Canelo jumps quickly under the front foot then the one-two to the body, and then immediately comes back with a sharp left hook to the face.

Berlanga rips out that jab, coming up empty, and edging backwards as Canelo takes the center of the ring.

Jeffrey May

Canelo Alvarez* vs. Edgar Berlanga [WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles]

And now the main event. At long last, Canelo and Berlanga are ready to go at it for all of the Super Middlewight belts.

Jeffrey May

Danny Garcia has been an outstanding fighter and it is terrible to see him go out like this, but this has to be the end of the road for his career. His heart is no longer in the sport.

Jeffrey May

The knockdown

Danny Garcia is down

Jeffrey May
R9

AND STILL: Erislandy Lara wins by TKO

All the good that Garcia did in the last round will be lost if he doesn't stay on top of his game. He seems to have reverted to simply stick and move tactics and that is never going to be good enough when you are up against a fighter like Lara.

A straight left from Lara wobbles Garcia! His knees buckle and he goes down! Lara dances in front of him but he is stunned! He beats the count and the round ends but in the inter round, the referee goes to the corner and asks, "Are you done?"

Garcia's dad says yes and the fight is waved off!

Jeffrey May
R8

Garcia opens with a one-two and tries to cut down the distance, but Lara ties him up. Garcia comes back in with another couple of body shots. This is the best round from Garcia so far. He is not winning the round, but he is at least trying to bring the fight to Lara's door.

On the ten-second clapper, Lara lands a peach of a jab just as Garcia comes in and it snaps his head around.

Jeffrey May
R7

Garcia is, if anything, even more cautious this round. He is simply around the outside, allowing Lara to pick up shots and stay on top, but boxing is a game of heart, more than anything else. More than strength, more than aggression, more than power, more than skill. Heart. And it looks like Danny Garcia's heart is just not in the fight.

Jeffrey May
R6

Garcia comes out and tries to stake out the center of the ring. Lara moves around the edges but with Garcia unwilling to come forward, this is just headed one way. Lara is able to pick off points, sniping counter punches here and there and Danny is just not putting anything together.

Jeffrey May
R5

Garcia is not able to get into the fight at all yet. Lara is waiting him out, timing his shots and countering them. A feint by Garcia draws a reaction from Lara and a follow up might have landed but he just didn't pull the trigger.

As the seconds tick away, Garcia looks to be in no hurry to go on the attack. Baffling.

Jeffrey May
R4

There is a small cut on Garcia's eye, which came about through a clash of heads in that last round. It is not bleeding heavily and should not be much of an issue just yet.

Lara is doing a superb job of landing those counter punches. Garcia is coming in, trying to set his range, and Lara is making him pay each time. Chipping away, and getting points.

Jeffrey May
R3

Lara is more aggressive now, coming in heavy, and forcing Garcia onto the back foot. As Lara stakes out the center of the ring, it is Garcia who is having to move around the outside of the ring apron, tiring himself out. Lara throws that right hook and Garcia ties him up.

Lara nips in and out with that jab and Garcia is not yet able to judge the distance well.

Jeffrey May
R2

Lara is now coming forward a bit more, seeking Garcia out rather than just waiting for an opening to come to him. A nice jab is doubled but Garcia spins away nicely. The crowd is still restless and unable to see any of the good for complaining about the big shots not being there yet.

Jeffrey May
R1

Inactivity has been the enemy of both of these men, and they come out slowly, checking each other out. Lara is clearly the bigger man, more solid, and now working more flat-footed than he ever did in the past.

As Garcia moves around, looking for an in to Lara, the crowd gets restless. That is the trouble with Mexican fight fans. They love action and when the fight delivers then they are great. But they don't understand, or have any interest in, the art of boxing. If you don't just stand there and swing away, then you get jeered and whistled.

Jeffrey May

Erislandy Lara* vs. Danny Garcia [WBA middleweight title]

Now the co-main event and a bout that is tasty enough on paper to stand on its own. Erislandy Lara and Danny Garcia will hammer it out for the WBA middleweight title over 12 rounds.

Jeffrey May
R9

Caleb Plant wins by TKO

Plant looks to have neutralized that early lead that McCumby had come out with, taking back a lot of the lost ground made by that knock down in the fifth. He pushes McCumby onto the ropes and begins to land shots almost at will! Left, alright, 2 uppercuts, and still no response. Just as the referee looks closely, McCumby comes back with a few shots and pushes plant back out and away from him.

In the dying seconds of the round, another flurry of shots from Plant lands with no response! In the final ten seconds, after the clap, he just let his hands go! And with less than a second left, the referee steps in and calls a halt to the proceedings. What a stoppage!

It might be argued that he could have waited and allowed that round to play out, but the truth is that McCumby had been out of his depth for the last two or three rounds.

Jeffrey May
R8

Plant comes out and lands two wonderful uppercuts that snap McCumby’s head back. McCumby tries too come back with double hooks to the body but winds up eating another one-two to the face.

While his opponent is still dangerous, the fight seems to have settled into a rhythm for Caleb Plant. He is landing good shots and avoiding the real power, that almost fearsome power, that McCumby carries.

As the round ends plant looks to be easily in control.

Jeffrey May
R7

The wind seems to have shifted towards Plant. He's moved back into the center of the ring, allowing the fight to go back outside. McCumby is not yet sure what to do about this, giving plant the opportunity to get back on top of him.

Both men spend the rest of the round working in close but things have visibly slowed. As the round ends it is now McCumby’s turn to showboat. Both are trying to win the audience but it's not clear that either is really winning the war.

Jeffrey May
R6

They come straight out and go right back to locking horns. McCumby is really trying to stay on top of Plant and Plant is doing the clever thing by staying in close, cutting down the range. Now plant is trying to gee up the crowd, waving and perhaps showboating.

That's dangerous in a fight that you're not clearly winning and the problem with that right now for Caleb Plant is that he's not clearly winning this fight. Even if he's won every other round, that 10-8 in the last round that is a real problem for him.

There's a small cut that's opened up on McCumby's right eye, probably from a clash of heads. It doesn't seem to be bothering him but now Plant is starting to really showboat, dancing, swiveling his hips, and most worryingly letting McCumby off the ropes and brought the fight back to the center of the ring. Plant lands a solid right and then a great one-two as the round ends.

Jeffrey May
R5

McCumby goes straight back to work and wobbles Plant immediately! McCumby's shots are just thunderous! Plant is in trouble here. He manages to get his wits about him and turn McCumby onto the ropes and rough him up a bit. He needs something because the wind is at McCumby's back right now.

Plant has taken the fight inside now, trying to keep McCumby on the ropes and take away some of that power in those shots.

Jeffrey May
R4

Plant is back in control for most of the round but in the final forty seconds, McCumby throws another double left hook and Plant goes down! He protests but there is no doubt that this one was a knockdown! He is straight back up and while the feet did get tangled it was the hook that sent him down. As the round ends, McCumby is just full of confidence.

Jeffrey May
R3

McCumby comes out and lands a hard shot immediately and then throws Plant to the floor! Another no knockdown ruling and the referee warns both men to "knock it off!"

This is interesting from McCumby. He is trying to become the bully, turnning this into a brawl rather than a boxing match. Plant is the better boxer, so McCumby has to get that option off the table and so far he is doing a good job of it!

The round settles into a stick and move contest, but as the final seconds wind down, McCumby rushes back in and manages to get a counter right for his trouble.

Jeffrey May
R2

A clubbing right hook from McCumby threw Plant off balance, and things looked hairy for a second. It looked as if it was a footwork problem, Plant was caught between steps, but McCumby has good power and jumped on that quickly. Plant recovered and the round settled into a normal back and forth, but McCumby has another shock in store as he lands a solid left to the nose of Plant and then bullies him to the floor just as the bell rings. The referee signals no knockdown but McCumby taunts Plant as he goes back to the corner. It is getting tasty now!

Jeffrey May
R1

Both fighters work orthodox and come out slow, taking a good look at the other man's defense. Plant goes in with a jab, doubling it up and McCumby stays compact and works his way back with a hard right hand.

A solid uppercut from Plant draws cheers from the crowd at the end of the round.

Jeffrey May

Caleb Plant vs. Trevor McCumby [WBA super middleweight title]

No on to title fight for the vacant interim WBA super middleweight between Caleb Plant and Trevor McCumby.

Jeffrey May

Rolando Romero wins by UD

The judges saw it as:

99-91

99-91

99-91

all in favor of the winner, Rolando Romero. That may have been one or two rounds wider than I saw it, but otherwise, the right decision.

Jeffrey May

The ringside judges will have the final word, but that should be a comfortable win for Rolly Romero. Let's see what they say.

Jeffrey May
R10

The tenth and final round and Jaimes needs something big to win this fight. Romero is comfortably in the lead and without a stoppage, it is probably impossible for Jaimes to win this.

Jaimes is almost robotic in his relentless march forward, but is not at all creative with his punch output, throwing one-twos and not much else. Romero is easily hittable, but without something that catches him off guard, he is able to simply roll with them. The seconds tick away and the possibility of a win for Jaimes with them.

Jeffrey May
R9

Romero comes out landing solid power shots, a hook from both sides and then an uppercut as Jaimes comes in close. Now it is the turn of Jaimes to look confused. He seems to have one goal: to get inside. But once he is there, then there seems to be nothing further than that. Romero is doing all of the good work on the inside.

Jeffrey May
R8

Between rounds, the corner works on Romero's eye, so it looks like something there is bothering him.

With Jaimes continuing to come forward, Romero decides to not only tie him up, but to work him on the inside. Romero is landing huge shots up close, a beautiful left uppercut and a thumping right hook. Jaimes is looking for the angles but Romero is doing a superb job of keeping him in too close to find them.

Jeffrey May
R7

Romero is looking more sedate, more pensive as Jaimes comes out dancing, sticking, and working forward. Romero is on the back foot and really looking as if his right eye is bothering him. He keeps swiping at it with his glove. When Jaimes comes forward, Romero ties him up and stops the assault.

Jeffrey May
R6

A solid right hand from Jaimes caught Romero early and that set up more action from the Mexican. A great left hook caught that chin that Romero has been dangling up in the air there, and all Rolly can do is tie him up. Jaimes comes back with a peach of a left uppercut and Romero is just trying to recover now.

Jaimes stays on the front foot and lands another right hand and has Romero all out of sorts here. Great round for Jaimes.

Jeffrey May

Rocked

Rolly landed this one nicely.

Jeffrey May
R5

The momentum is slowly swinging Jaimes' way. Not from anything that Romero is doing wrong, but because Jaimes is working well, getting his shots in, and sticking the fight on Romero, he is growing in confidence.

Jeffrey May
R4

Romero stayed on top of Jaimes and threw some nice hooks and right hands but the real eye-catching stuff was in the final seconds as Jaimes landed a hard right and it snapped a response out of Romero who came back with a booming double hook and a hard right on the bell.

Jeffrey May
R3

Romero lands a huge right hand that shakes Jaimes in the opening minute but as the round wears on, the Mexican is able to get his feet under him and inch his way back into the fight. Romero had a solid round and showed flashes of his talent, but also showed that he sometimes leaves his chin exposed.

Jeffrey May
R2

In the last 30 seconds of round two, Romero is jabbing to the body, trying to get a little more active with his lead hand, but he's still leaving himself wide open. His opponent, with 11 knockouts under his belt, has the power to change the fight's momentum, but the real question is whether he can land a clean shot before Romero's vulnerabilities catch up with him.

Jeffrey May
R1

Both fighters come out working orthodox and Romero tries to pick his way forward. Jaimes is content to wait, patiently looking for that counter punch. The round settles into a cagey one, both fighters probing the defenses of their opponent.

Jeffrey May

Rolando Romero vs. Manuel Jaimes [Featherweight]

Now it is time for the main card as we kick things off as Rolly Romero takes on Manuel Jaimes in a ten round Featherweight bout.

Jeffrey May

The split decision

Could have gone either way.

Jeffrey May

What’s the payout for Canelo being KO’d by Berlanga?

Edgar Berlanga is convinced that he will beat Canelo by knockout and the bookmakers share their odds for the epic fight.

Once again, Las Vegas will host one of the most eagerly awaited boxing events of recent months. The Mexican champion will put his super middleweight belts on the line, along with The Ring title and the Tamaulipas belt.

Canelo predicts Berlanga KO

The high expectations surrounding the bout have fuelled the pre-fight build-up, with both men stoking tensions. The Puerto Rican-born Berlanga knows that Álvarez represents his greatest challenge yet and sees this as a crucial opportunity to further raise his profile in the sport.

Canelo confidently predicted that he will end the fight between the seventh and eighth rounds. Berlanga, who has 17 knockouts in 22 fights, has drawn attention from oddsmakers, who have released high odds in the event of a victory by the Puerto Rican boxer.

Odds on Berlanga win by knockout

Berlanga is expectedly confident that he can defeat Álvarez via knockout, and betting odds reflect the explosive nature of this fight. According to US betting houses, if Berlanga wins by KO, the odds are set at +5000. For a technical knockout, the odds are estimated at +3500. Clearly, the Puerto Rican is not the favourite, which explains the high payouts for bets in his favour.

Bets on the Mexican fighter offer less lucrative returns. If Canelo wins by KO, the payout is around +200, and by technical knockout, it’s at -125. The highest odds we’ve seen are +25000, in the unlikely event that Canelo is knocked down more than twice and Berlanga wins by decision. Where’s your money going?

Jeffrey May
Canelo vs Berlanga purse money: How much will they make and how will they split it?

The ways of the boxing world’s paydays are shrouded in mystery and none more so than the finances of a Canelo fight, but we separate fact from fiction right here.

Jeffrey May

Salas drops Villa

This straight short right is brutal!

Jeffrey May
Canelo Alvarez vs Edgar Berlanga full undercard: Complete list of fights of the event

This undercard is packed with outstanding matchups and we take a look at them all here.

Jeffrey May

Lopez drops Medina

What a left!

Jeffrey May

Preliminary results

Jonathan Lopez vs. Richard Medina [Super Featherweight]
After a back and fourth bout that saw Lopez get a cut on his eye in the fifth, Medina was set up and dropped by a heavy left hand in the eighth round to seal the deal. The eight round contest was scored 80-71 by all three judges in favor of Lopez, which was perhaps harsh since I thought that Medina won two rounds but the right man got the nod and Jonathan Lopez moves to 17-0.

Roiman Villa vs. Ricardo Salas [Welterweight]
A stunning knockout in the third round put an end to a blazing war that went from bell to bell between these two. Salas threw a short right hand that landed right on the button and Villa went down hard, unable to beat the ten-count. In his US debut, Salas moves to 20-2-2 and is a fighter to keep your eye on.

Stephen Fulton vs. Carlos Castro [Super Lightweight]
Stephen Fulton stayed in the fight and even turned the tide after a heavy knockdown in the fifth round, overcoming a solid Carlos Castro to get a split decision win. The cards were all tight and a large, vocal section of the Mexican crowd booed the announcement, but Fulton moves to 22-1.

Jeffrey May
Who is Edgar Berlanga, the boxer from Brooklyn who is fighting Canelo Álvarez? Career stats

Is Edgar Berlanga the heir apparent or just another young pretender to Canelo Álvarez's crown? We take a good look at Brooklyn's native son right here.

Jeffrey May
Canelo Álvarez's career boxing record: wins, loses and KOs

The undisputed face of boxing, Santos Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez Barragán stands alone as the man to beat. We take a look at his insane career right here.

Jeffrey May

The Full Card

Main Card
Canelo Alvarez* vs. Edgar Berlanga [WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles]
Erislandy Lara* vs. Danny Garcia [WBA middleweight title]
Caleb Plant vs. Trevor McCumby [WBA super middleweight title]
Rolando Romero vs. Manuel James [Featherweight]
Stephen Fulton vs. Carlos Castro [Super Lightweight]
Roiman Villa vs. Ricardo Salas [Welterweight]
Jonathan Lopez vs. Richard Medina [Super Featherweight]

The main undercard is set to get underway at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.

Jeffrey May

Tale of the tape

Canelo Álvarez
Age: 34
Country: Mexico
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 7.5in
Reach: 70.5”
Record: 61-2-2

Edgar Berlanga
Age: 27
Country: United States of America
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 6ft 1in
Reach: 68”
Record: 22-0-0

Jeffrey May

WELCOME!!!

Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the WBC, WBO, and WBA world super middleweight title bout between Canelo Álvarez and Edgar Berlanga from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tonight, the bright lights of Las Vegas set the stage for a showdown between Canelo Álvarez and Edgar Berlanga. Canelo may no longer be undisputed after opting out of a mandatory defense of the IBF crown, but he is still the king of the super middleweight division. Edgar Berlanga on the other hand is hungry and dangerous. The T-Mobile Arena is buzzing with anticipation as two fighters with very different paths converge in what promises to be a brutal contest for the WBC, WBO, and WBA world super middleweight titles.

Canelo is a man who’s defined by his ability to break down opponents with both patience and precision, and comes into this fight off a decisive win over Jaime Munguia, a fighter very much cut from similar cloth as Berlanga. At 60-2-2 and 34 years old, more than half of which he has spent in the ring, Canelo has seen it all. He has fought the best and usually come out on top.

Across the ring is Edgar Berlanga, a rising star with knockout power in both hands. Berlanga, who started his career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts, has built a reputation as a power puncher who can end a fight with a single shot. But since stepping up in competition, Berlanga has faced tougher, more durable opponents, and he’s had to settle for decisions in his last few bouts. At 22-0-0, Berlanga enters the ring tonight hungry, fearless, and ready to prove that he belongs at the elite level.

There’s a lot on the line tonight, not just for the titles, but for the future of the division. Canelo is the established champion, but Berlanga represents the next generation - young, hungry, and with the kind of power that can make any fighter question their game plan.

Don’t underestimate the Mexico vs Puerto Rico storyline either. Both have given us great champions, both have provided amazing entertainment, and their head to head clashes are legendary.

Jeffrey May
Rules