Canelo Alvarez scored his 62nd victory on Saturday night, as boxing fans witnessed another showing of the super middleweight king’s dominance.
However, it wasn’t all glory and praise for the Mexican superstar.
The pound-for-pound great dropped Edgar Berlanga on his way with an awesome shot to retain the WBO, WBC, and WBA titles amid groans over his choice of opponent.
Berlanga was ultimately classed as not enough by many who witnessed the event.
Canelo, who improved to 62-2-2, 39 KOs, did not increase his P4P standing with another decision over a foe simply out of his depth. The one focal point of the match-up was a perfect left hook in round three that dropped Berlanga clean, but the Puerto Rican stood firm despite being unable to make a dent in the champion.
With the loss, Berlanga dropped to 22-1, 17 KOs, and didn’t justify his opportunity.
Both fighters discussed the clash in the aftermath as social media became a beacon of disgruntlement over Canelo’s continued avoidance of David Benavidez and David Morrell.
After his win, Canelo was defiant.
“I did good. Now, what are they going to say? They said I don’t fight young fighters. They always talk, but I’m the best fighter in the world,” said Canelo before touching on the criticism he’s faced since the fight was announced.
“I got a little angry with his tactics, but I’m a Mexican man. It means a lot to fight on this day. It’s an honor to represent my country on this day. My experience and my talent were different. It’s about hard work and intelligence. It’s everything together. If you have talent, you need discipline as well.”
On whether he’ll choose a better opponent for May 2025, Canelo added, “A lot of people say we can’t, but we can. Las Vegas is like a second home for Mexicans. We are warriors, and we never give up. I’m going to rest, and then I will decide what’s next.”
Berlanga, who did nothing of what he said pre-fight, stated, “I’m upset because, at the end of the day, I’m a winner. I fought a legend tonight and did my best to represent Puerto Rico.
“We’re fighters and try to throw our opponent off their game. I took his best shot, but I knew I could take his punches and return them. I could have jabbed a lot more, but I was in there with a legend.”
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
