What did boxing Mexican legends say about Canelo’s potential next opponents?
The Mexican boxing legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez shared their thoughts about Canelo’s potential next rivals.
Saul Alvarez hasn’t yet revealed the name of his next opponent for September, but the two boxers who are on the radar are the American with Puerto Rican roots Edgar Berlanga, and the British Chris Eubank Jr., who’s in the ‘pole’ position to meet the Mexican superstar inside the ring.
The super middleweight king last fought and defeated Jaime Munguia in January in a clash he controlled from the opening bell. The Guadalajara native was widely criticized for taking on his fellow countryman, as he was the more experienced fighter and Munguia wasn’t seen as a real menace for the Mexican superstar.
While many fans expected him to take on David Benavidez or accept a rematch fight with Dmitry Bivol, Canelo chose to avoid both undefeated boxers and face Munguia. Now, Alvarez wants to step in the ring again in September, and considering his status, he has the chance of ‘cherry picking’ his rivals.
What did Marquez and Barrera say about Canelo’s possible opponents?
While Canelo’s fanbase is huge, especially in the USA and Mexico, he also has lots of critics. After Berlanga and Eubank Jr. appeared on the media as real possibilities to face Alvarez, two Mexican legends, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Márquez, gave their take on those names.
“I think it’s a bad joke... Eubank is a 34-year-old opponent, he has a loss with Smith, who was destroyed by Canelo and beaten by Munguia”, Barrera said to ProBox TV.
Edgar Berlanga, 27, is Canelo’s mandatory rival by the World Boxing Association (WBA), and he has a record of 22-0-0 with 17 KOs. A fight between them would be a Mexico vs Puerto Rico battle, which could boost the rivalry between both boxing schools.
“We have to wait to see what he decides, whether he chooses Eubank Jr. or Edgar Berlanga. I think Berlanga could be a good opponent. Why? Because of the pay-per-view and ticket sales, but we have to wait for Canelo to decide,” Marquez expressed.