Edgar Berlanga believes he offers more in a fight against Canelo Alvarez in September than any other opponent the Mexican star has faced.
Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) exudes confidence, typical of many East Coast fighters. However, fans view this as a significant mismatch in favour of Canelo and are concerned that he would opt to fight the unproven WBA mandatory.
Canelo, (61-2 39 KOs), has not yet confirmed that he will fight Berlanga, 27, next, but it’s expected that Berlanga will serve as his tune-up opponent before he faces Terence Crawford in the first half of 2025.
Berlanga is suitable for a warm-up fight because it allows Canelo,33, to take a break from tough competition and secure an easy win before facing Crawford. What stands out about Berlanga is his confidence, despite being matched against lesser opponents throughout his career, first by Top Rank and now by Matchroom.
“He knows I’m about to make that bag, and we’re going to beat him,” said Edgar Berlanga in media reports.
Hopefully, this fight is about more than Berlanga just getting “that bag,” because fans won’t be eager to pay for a mismatch unless he makes it interesting. Berlanga didn’t perform well in his fights against Roamer Alexis Angulo, Marcelo Conceres, Steve Rolls, Jason Quigley, and Demond Nicholson.
Although Berlanga claims Padraig McCrory is the best opponent he’s faced, it’s hard to take the 36-year-old Irish fighter seriously given his lacklustre resume and unremarkable performance when they fought last February.
“It’s legacy for me. It’s Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. Everybody keeps talking about that fight. I feel I got to get bugged out. Now, I feel it’s time for me to go to that level,” said Berlanga when asked how he beats Canelo” added Berlanga.
Edgar believes he needs to get “bugged out” to stand a chance against Canelo. However, that’s easier said than done. A fighter either possesses that quality naturally, or they don’t. You can’t suddenly become crazy and fearless in the ring if you haven’t been that way throughout your career. Fighting recklessly against Canelo isn’t smart for Berlanga, given his poor defense and less-than-iron chin.
“I know he [Canelo] fought big punchers and everybody, but I feel with me, it’s something different. I’m going to bring something different to the table,” continued Berlanga.
This fight is a step down for Canelo compared to his last bout against Jaime Munguia, who is a much better fighter than Berlanga. However, it serves as a tune-up for the Mexican star. It would have been preferable for Berlanga to have faced Munguia or Morrell to prove himself worthy of fighting Canelo, rather than fighting Padraig McCrory.
