On the night of September 14th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Edgar Berlanga received his opportunity to chase greatness, but unfortunately for Berlanga, he did not achieve his goal as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (62-2-2, 39). KOs) retained his unified world super-middleweight title by unanimous decision.
Canelo was vintage Canelo as he displayed his usual formula of aggression, power, accuracy and good punch placement. His opponent, Edgar Berlanga, fought for 12 rounds, and proved that he belongs in the ring fighting for the unified world title.
In July 2024, the official announcement of the fight was made regarding a Mexican Independence Day weekend clash between Canelo and Edgar Berlanga. Many fight fans and boxing pundits were not happy with the announcement.
At that particular time, boxing fans were still hopeful about witnessing the much-anticipated and much-anticipated fight between Canelo and David Benavidez. Instead of getting what they wanted, the fans had to accept what was given.
Edgar Berlanga was excited to receive the opportunity, but was disappointed by the disdain he received. Fans expressed their thoughts via social media and talked about how Berlanga was a cherry pick that was destined to be flopped.
On fight night in the opening round, Berlanga started the bout using footwork and throwing the jab. Canelo spent most of the first round pressing forward, and because of his aggression, he was able to land a couple of solid power shots.
In the second round, Canelo Alvarez landed a big left hook, but Edgar Berlanga answered by connecting with a solid right hand. With 1:57 left to go in the third, Canelo landed a devastating left hook that sent Berlanga to the canvas.
The 27-year-old Berlanga was able to get up, but as the match continued, Alvarez hit Berlanga with a flurry of punches. However, Berlanga displayed an incredible chin as he soaked up the blows, fought back and weathered the storm.
Over the next two rounds, Canelo continued to push forward, getting into his preferred range and landing accurate power shots. In round 6, Canelo landed a big left hook, but Berlanga responded by connecting with a right hand.
In the second half of the unified super middleweight championship, Canelo continued to dictate the action, but every time Canelo landed a punch, Berlanga tried to land a punch of his own.
At the conclusion of the 12-round contest, Canelo Alvarez was declared the winner by unanimous decision. Edgar Berlanga was disappointed with the result of the fight, but should be proud of the way he competed against a future Hall of Famer.
Edgar Berlanga showed ring IQ, incredible punch resistance, and made an effort to do all the right things, like catching and countering, and punching in between shots.
Berlanga lost, but thanks to that fight, he gained a ton of experience, and the effort he displayed Saturday night warmed up his fan base. During the post-fight press conference, Berlanga compared his experience to what Canelo went through eleven years ago.
“Like I said the man is a legend, he fought Floyd Mayweather when he was young, and look who he became after the loss. I gained a lot of experience in the ring with him. He is a great fighter, but I know that He knows that I am a future legend of this sport.”
Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) lost his 0, but because of his competitive performance, he gained respect, new fans, and many opportunities. When Berlanga is ready to return to the ring, he has the option of fighting Jaime Munguia, Caleb Plant, or challenging IBF champion William Scull.
