Canelo vs. Berlanga is set to go down as the face of boxing Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez makes his long-awaited return to the ring as he takes on the young and hungry power-puncher Edgar Berlanga inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click here to watch the press conference & fighter face-off’s. Footage via ‘Fight Hub TV’ on YouTube.
Main Event: Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga
Boxing megastar Canelo Alvarez is back to action this Saturday as he looks to defend his undisputed titles against the young, undefeated Puerto Rican power-puncher out of Brooklyn, New York, Edgar Berlanga.
This Mexico vs. Puerto Rico matchup at 168 lbs. guarantees a fire-fight for fans viewing around the world.
The undefeated 27-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, has an impressive record of 22-0, with 17 of these wins coming via knockout.
However, with the recent step-up in competition, Berlanga seems to have lost his finishing touch. But let’s not forget, some of the toughest names on Berlanga’s resume include Jason Quigley and Roamer Alexis Angulo, victories that should not be overlooked.
That makes for a monumental challenge against the heavily seasoned undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Berlanga will be forced to box a cleaner fight against the always dangerous champion, a task that is not to be taken lightly.
Alvarez comes into this matchup as the heavy-betting favorite. It’s no surprise that the odds have been stacked the way they are, as Canelo holds a jaw-dropping professional record of 61-2-2, 39 of which are knockout wins.
Canelo will look to add Berlanga’s name to his already impressive resume at 168 lbs. He has already defeated Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, Billy Joe Saunders, and Jaime Munguia.
That said, I see Berlanga posing little to no threat to Alvarez inside the ring as the shorter, stronger, and more experienced champion will look to gradually break down the power-puncher by cutting off the ring.
Canelo will look to inch forward with a tight high guard, a strategy that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. He will be looking to setup devastating shots to Berlanga’s midsection while also posing the counterpunch threat, a plan that promises an exciting match.
From a simple standpoint, Berlanga is completely overmatched in this title fight, and I do not believe he has the necessary head movement, footwork, and punch resistance to make it all 12 rounds.
Once Canelo has the range gauged and the ring beginning to cut off, he will look to deliver fight-ending punches to an avoidant Berlanga on the backfoot.
Prediction: Canelo via KO/TKO R7
Other Fights on Canelo vs. Berlanga
Main Card:
- WBA Middleweight title (160 lbs.) Erislandy Lara vs. Danny Garcia: Lara via Decision
- (168 lbs.) Caleb Plant vs. Trevor McCumby: Plant via Decision
- (140 lbs.) Rolando Romero vs. Manuel Jaimes: Romero via Decision
Prelims:
- (126 lbs.) Stephen Fulton vs. Carlos Castro: Fulton via Decision
- (147 lbs.) Roiman Villa vs. Ricardo Salas: Villa via KO/TKO R7
- (130 lbs.) Jonathan Lopez vs. Ricky Medina: Lopez via Decision
- (175 lbs.) Lawrence King vs. Vaughn Williams: King via KO/TKO R5
- (160 lbs.) Yoenli Hernandez vs. Jose Charles: Hernandez via KO/TKO R4
- (168 lbs.) Bek Nurmaganbet vs. Joshua Conley: Nurmaganbet via KO/TKO R3
Stay tuned for more boxing news and updates via RespectMyRegion
