LAS-VEGAS– Edgar Berlanga is undefeated in 22 professional fights – 17 of them by knockout – and he said he is not only determined to keep his winning streak going, but also to win in six rounds on Saturday night.
But if he was forced to hold out until the end, Berlanga admitted that would be fine too.
Canelo Alvarez doesn’t believe any of it.
“It’s easy to say you’re going to knock me out, but it’s a lot harder to actually do it,” Alvarez said. “Saturday night is going to be very difficult for him for sure. I’ve been preparing for the knockout. I love the feeling of a knockout and I’m going to do my best to do it.”
The bookmakers share Alvarez’s skepticism and make him the favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook with odds of 25:1.
Alvarez, the WBC and WBO super middleweight champion who also boasts a record of 61-2-2 with 39 knockouts, headlines a slate that also includes two other title fights. WBA super middleweight champion Erislandy Lara takes on Danny Garcia and Caleb Plant fights Trevor McCumby for the interim WBA super middleweight title.
This is one of two major combat sports events competing over Mexican Independence Day weekend, both attempting to appeal to the country’s fan base.
Alvarez, 34, from Guadalajara, is the main star at the T-Mobile Arena. Just five kilometers away, the UFC is making its debut at the Sphere with seven Mexican fighters in the lineup.
Alvarez expects to have the audience on his side again and that Las Vegas will become his second home alongside his native Mexico.
“It’s an honor to fight on this day,” said Alvarez. “Mexican Independence Day is very important to us. It’s very special and I’m very proud to fight for the Mexican people.”
His opponent is Berlanga, a native New Yorker whose parents are from Puerto Rico.
“I could be the face of Puerto Rican boxing after Saturday night,” Berlanga said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for many years and now it’s my turn to do it.”
It will certainly be quite a challenge for the 27-year-old Berlanga to face a legendary boxer, even though Alvarez is past his prime.
He hasn’t stopped a fight early since defeating Plant by technical knockout to become undisputed champion nearly three years ago. The IBF stripped Alvarez of his title after he chose to face Berlanga instead of fighting his No. 1 contender, William Scull.
However, Alvarez’s three most recent title defenses were not close, even if everything was judged by the judges’ cards.
“We have trained very hard because we know that this fight is not about physicality or size,” said Mark Farrait, Berlanga’s trainer. “It’s about experience and intelligence, and Canelo believes Edgar has none of that. We are here to make a statement and show the world our patience and our performance.”
“I know Canelo will fight smart. He won’t fight Edgar right away because if he does, there will be fireworks early on. This is our chance to dethrone the king.”
Alvarez doesn’t buy it.
Neither are the bookmakers.
And the expected pro-Canelo crowd probably doesn’t believe that will happen either.
“We have been training hard because we know we are facing a young fighter who wants to take our place,” said Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s manager and trainer. “Berlanga is strong and he wants to prove himself against Canelo.”
“We have trained very thoroughly for his fight. We have everything we need for Berlanga and we come to make history.”
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