Ben Madilynn
Edgar Berlanga certainly looks the part. He’s undefeated with 17 stoppages via the abbreviated route in 22 starts. He’s young, hungry and supremely confident. He also has that proud Puerto Rican boxing pedigree coursing through his veins.
Will this be enough to upset Saul Alvarez?
CANELO. On the other corner of that ring today, stands one of the best fighters this sport has to offer. A future hall-of-famer, perhaps a legend in the making.
Canelo Alvarez has seen them all. Mean mug-faced brawlers, stylish boxers, slick counter-punchers.
You name them, he’s fought and defeated. He has lost only twice — once to the great Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the other to Dmitry Bivol at the light heavyweight division.
But the fight against Berlanga will be at the super-middleweight division, which he has ruled over and dominated the past four years.
MY TAKE. This will be an interesting fight for the first six rounds. Berlanga should try to make Canelo feel his power early to maximize his chances of pulling off that upset.
If he is able to hurt him early, Canelo will be forced to change tactics and so the first half of the fight is where Berlanga should make his move.
On the other hand, Canelo has a wealth of experience behind him. He will anticipate that early surge from Berlanga and bide his time.
An extremely efficient counter puncher — I expect Canelo to take over in the championship rounds in a competitive fight and punish a tiring, faded Berlanga and stop him probably by the 11th round.
RIVALRY. This fight will be the latest iteration of the storied Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry dating back to the very genesis of pro boxing.
Salvador Sanchez-Wilfredo Gomez, Julio Cesar Chavez-Edwin Rosario come to mind, among other great fights, but I am partial to Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas back in 2000.
In that fight, Vargas was able to come back after being knocked down twice in the first round to knock down and hurt Trinidad in the fourth.
The cagey Tito wisely targeted the Vargas family jewels as Vargas tried to finish him off, allowing him precious time to recover albeit facing a one-point deduction.
Vargas bravely fought on but was outgunned and stopped in the 12th round.
LAST ROUND. It’s on my favorite twins, Attorneys Carrie Dela Serna Unchuan and Marie Dela Serna Teves who recently celebrated their birthdays. Cheers!
