Edgar Berlanga challenges Canelo Alvarez for his WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight titles on September 14th on the Mexican Independence Day holiday weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Canelo-Berlanga event will be shown live on DAZN and PBC on Prime Video PPV.
This fight can be described as respectable, like driving by a car crash on the freeway. You can’t help but look.
Berlanga isn’t the opponent that fans wanted from Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs), but they’re stuck with this. Canelo has picked Berlanga over Chris Eubank Jr. as his challenger. Alvarez wouldn’t risk his hide fighting David Benavidez or David Morrell and lose his three titles.
An Entertaining Throwback
With the superstar Canelo’s limited options, Berlanga was his best choice to drive PPVs and sell tickets. Canelo didn’t want to give up his September 14th Mexican Independence Day date to Dana White’s UFC, which is staging an event that night in Las Vegas.
Berlanga was the only fighter that Canelo could use for the September 14th date besides the dangerous David Benavidez. Canelo needed a popular fighter that wouldn’t pose a risk for him.
While Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) is viewed as a weak, unworthy challenger with a laughable resume, he does bring a brawling style that will make the fight with Canelo entertaining for as long as the contest lasts.
Berlanga is a primitive throwback fighter like James Kirkland, who comes out slugging with minimal skills and is there to be hit. If Berlanga had been matched against tough opposition by his past promoters at Top Rank and current ones at Matchroom, he would have been weeded out long ago. He wouldn’t be getting this title shot against Canelo.
Berlanga’s best career wins:
– Padraig McCrory
– Roamer Alexis Angulo
– Marcelo Esteban Coceres
– Jason Quigley
– Steve Rolls
Lara vs. Garcia: A Potential Show-Stealer
WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara defends against Danny Garcia in the chief support fight on the September 14th event. The former two-division world champion Garcia hasn’t fought in two years since his twelve-round majority decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr. on July 30th, 2022.
It’s unknown what Danny, 36, has left after two years out of the ring, but it doesn’t matter. Fans who remember Garcia during his best years from 2011 to 2017 will be glad to see him in action against the 41-year-old Cuban Lara.
Lara-Garcia might steal this show from the main event fight between Canelo and Berlanga because it appears to be a more evenly matched fight.
Promoter’s Dream Realized
“Edgar Berlanga’s nickname is the Chosen One, and I’m so happy he got the golden pick for Sept. 14,” said Promoter Eddie Hearn. “This is the fight we dreamed about when we signed Edgar last year, and he is ready to give everything for himself, his family, and Puerto Rico.”
Hearn has talked of wanting Berlanga to fight Canelo since he signed the New Yorker last year, and he’s not taken any chances with him.
In Berlanga’s two fights under Hearn’s Matchroom promotional umbrella, he’s fought Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrory. Those are not murderers’ row killers. Hearn has got his wish with Canelo blessing Berlanga with a money fight to get that “bag.” Now, it’ll be interesting to see if Hearn keeps Berlanga if he loses to Canelo.
He’ll have served his sole purpose, and it might be a waste of time for Hearn to keep Berlanga around, especially if he has to protect him to keep him from getting beaten.
Some boxing fans view Berlanga as a creation, a manufactured fighter purposefully matched against tomato cans to ramp him up for this one big payday against Canelo. It looks that way to fans because Berlanga’s resume is void of talented contenders and filled with middle-of-the-road fighters.
