Edgar Berlanga is confident he will dethrone Canelo Alvarez and take his Super Middleweight titles (168). No longer unified, the IBF title is up for grabs but WBA WBC, and WBO belts are. Boxing politics and Alvarez not meeting the IBF mandatory means the title is no longer unified.
Regardless, Berlanga says this is will vs. will when he meets Alvarez September 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a stacked Amazon Prime and DAZN PPV along with PPV.com. A chance now for Berlanga to dethrone the face of boxing who many consider the top pound-for pound fighter, though the underdog with many haters say the Brooklyn born native with Puerto Rican heritage is here just for a pay day and not deserving of a title opportunity.
Is this the latest installment of a Mexico versus Puerto Rico boxing rivalry or has Edgar Berlanga (Puerto Rico) got the opportunity to dethrone Alvarez, a proud Mexican who has built a legacy? It’s a fight Berlanga, also from Brooklyn, said he dreamed about since lacing up the gloves at the age of seven.
Boxing is that unique sport of opportunity, upsets, and underdogs never believe they are. Then again, with three blind mice (judges) at ringside, upsets have become more common with their unjustified scorecards, though subjective as they are from different vantage points.
So, there they were Monday afternoon in New York City, at the Palladium and first of a two-city press tour that followed Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, Ca and like two different halves of a 12-round fight so were the pressers. Monday featured compliments and diplomacy, Wednesday, fireworks with insults and nearly coming to blows.
Berlanga is trying to get under the skin of Alvarez, but that won’t work because the champion does his talking in the ring with powerful punches to the body and living up to his word of finishing off another challenge. So many have tried, yet they fail and Berlanga is not falling for the underdog status.
And Alvarez, at 34-years of age is showing no signs of dwindling skills as some have said. He is technical, a skilled technician with the defense, and the powerful punches to the body with a devastating uppercut.
Berlanga in his second fight under the Matchroom Boxing banner does possess knockout power. He began his career with Top Rank Boxing and almost achieved boxing history with 16 straight knockouts.
There has been no talk of Alvarez meeting Terence Crawford anytime soon in Saudi Arabia.
The 154-pound champion, Crawford is a favorite of the Kings and Princes who became a four-division champion after a 12-round unanimous decision Saturday evening over Ismael Madrimov winning the WBA title.
Alvarez got insulted with an offer and the Kings and Princes changed their tune, Big money on the table, Alvarez turning this into drama as boxing always is because the face calls his own shots and chooses opponents with the approval of promoters.
And with Alvarez and Crawford considered the top two in pound-for-pound talk, that would be a fight that fans and boxing desperately seek, but as always logistics stand in the way. There are mandatory defenses and purse bids.
There is also David Benavidez (29-0) the undefeated Mexican-American, once a potential opponent for Alvarez and his titles at 168, but now fighting at 175 and looking to unify the light heavyweight titles. Benavidez though has not closed the door with Alvarez, saying if the offer is on the table there would be no issue moving back down to 168.
Benavidez versus Alvarez is the fight for boxing, it’s in demand. Again, logistics stand in the way as Alvarez reportedly has said it would require over $50 million for the two of them to meet, which to all standards is difficult to understand. Though Benavidez, as many in boxing will say, is the opponent with the best ability to defeat Alvarez.
In the meantime, Berlanga (22-0, 17 KO’s) will have no talk of an Alvarez-Benavidez fight. The focus is this dream fight with a Mexican icon he has admired, an opportunity to make boxing history with a win. He bypassed any discussion of Alvarez meeting Benavidez.
“Canelo always on my mind,” he said. “Screw Benavidez. It’s Puerto Rico versus Mexico. Will versus will. I am young and strong and not running.”
Basically, the fight is an interesting challenge for Alvarez (61-2, 2 39 KO’s and his last fight with fellow undefeated Mexican Jaime Munguia went the 12-round distance, with a unanimous decision win in May).
“This is a good fight for the fans,” said Alvarez. “I know he’s going to bring something different. It’s the kind of fight you’re going to remember. I know he’s going to come to bring everything, and I will too. It’s the kind of fight I enjoy a lot, I can’t wait. Mexico versus Puerto Rico is history. There have been so many great fights between them and this is going to be another one to that story.”
And it will be a story if Berlanga, the underdog gets a power punch in, but opponents have discovered that Alvarez is not easy to overtake. This is a dream fight and any chance for Berlanga to defeat Alvarez will come with his array of punches that at times can hurt an opponent.
“This fight is all about intelligence,” Berlanga said. “We have to make sure we match him there. We’re not running. We’re going to stay right there and we’re going to do what we do.”
But the odds are against Berlanga and after the Wednesday drama of insults this is the fight. Strange and crazy things occur often in the illustrious history of boxing.
RETURN OF DANNY GARCIA: The co-main event to Alvarez and Berlanga will see the return of former welterweight champion Danny Garcia, the Philadelphia fighter who has been absent from the ring the past two years, at one time in that pound-for-pound discussion as a two-time champion.
He opposes WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (Cuba) the oldest and current champion at 41 years old in a 12-round fight as Garcia, also with Puerto Rican heritage moves up in weight. Former 140-pound world champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero steps into the ring against the hard-hitting Manuel Jaimes in a 10-round bout opening the pay-per-view.
“He can talk the talk and think whatever he wants,” Lara said about Garcia. “Everyone knows who I am and how I fight. We will see what happens on September 14. I am the reigning world champion, and that is how it’s going to remain until I retire.”
Said Garcia “ This is a historic fight for me. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a three-division world champion. Now I have a tough task in front of me in Lara and we’re gonna make it an epic night. I’m chasing a dream and I never stop until I get what I want. I’m here because I’m a great fighter.
He added, “This is a fight that I wanted. He has the title and that’s what I was looking for. He wants my name and I want his title. It makes perfect sense. I’m coming to make history.”
Boxing is all mental. You can do whatever you put your mind to. I know mentally, I can do whatever I put my mind to.”
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