Edgar Berlanga’s best chance of upsetting Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night is to knock him out in the first half of the fight, pour perfect salvos on him and look for a knockout on September 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Blitz: Berlanga’s Early Attack
Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) is at his best when he goes after his opponents from the start, as that’s when his energy is at its fullest. He knocked out his first 16 opponents in the first round from 2016 to 2020.
Granted, those fighters were cabdriver quality, but taking out anyone so quickly shows the kind of punching power Berlanga has.
In addition, like David Benavidez, Berlanga is another example of a fighter who sheds a lot of weight to compete at 168 and should fight at 175 against fighters his size.
Light Heavyweight in Disguise
Berlanga is still young enough to lose water-weight to get to super middleweight without debilitating him. So, on Saturday, Canelo will actually be fighting a light heavyweight with the power of a fighter from the 175-lb division.
This is another reason why Berlanga can win this fight if he can land his powerful shots in the first to third round. If he can’t knock Canelo out during the fight, the chances of him winning diminish.
“It depends on how accurate Berlanga is with his boxing power. If he is accurate with his punches, he will make Canelo keep his hands at home. He will not be willing to object,” said Roy Jones Jr. on Fight Hub TV’s YouTube channel, discussing the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight on Saturday.
Accuracy is Key
Berlanga has never been specific about his boxing. That’s the problem. He throws wingang shots with full force, and many of them are wide, even against C and D level fighters fed by his promoters on Matchroom and Top Rank. He’s wild with his punches, looking to score quick goals, and that approach will leave a lot of room for Canelo if his accuracy doesn’t improve.
If Berlanga is accurate with his shots, Canelo will be in for a treat on Saturday because the guy is a true light heavyweight who has the power to match the top guys in the 175-lb division. He doesn’t have the power of Artur Beterbiev, but he’s close.
“If it’s not straight punches, then Canelo will come in,” said Roy Jr. about Berlanga. “That will be explained by the way Berlanga’s contributions hit. In three or four rounds, it will be great if it takes that long.”
Berlanga will hurt Canelo in three rounds, and it won’t be a shock if he knocks the Mexican star down or knocks him down two or three times. He has to be accurate with his shots, though, because if he misses, as we’ve seen in the past, Canelo will cut him down.
Can Berlanga Weather The Storm?
“I don’t know if Berlanga can take Canelo’s boxing. “I think Canelo can take his own because I haven’t seen Canelo really hurt in a fight,” said Jones Jr. “It shouldn’t be too offensive. [if Berlanga wins] because when a guy goes 16 and 0 and all the knockouts in the first round, that tells you that he’s got special striking power, and if he catches anybody at any time, he can knock him out.”
The uppercut with which Canelo dropped Jaime Munguia in the fourth round of their fight on May 4 this year may knock out Berlanga. Even if he got up from that shot, Canelo would finish him quickly. Surprisingly, Munguia survived being knocked down by that shot because he was heavily injured and would have been easily finished if Canelo had landed it.
“That’s why he must use what he comes to this war. If he doesn’t use that, what good is it for you to create that name? I think he gives a better fight than Munguia, but out of the stretch, I don’t know if it’s going to be a good fight because I don’t know if he can withstand the things that Munguia is against and keeps coming. . I don’t know if Berlanga can take this punishment and continue,” said Roy Jr.
Berlanga has shown in his battles with Roamer Alexis Angulo, Steve Rolls, and Marcelo Esteban Coceres that he doesn’t have a good fuel tank to keep fighting hard in the later rounds. He is an average fighter in the championship rounds, looking more like a C level than an A level in quality. If Berlanga is still there at that time in the fight, Canelo will finish him completely.
You can’t run away @EdgarBerlangaJr if he has hurt you. He is the definition of body piercing.
Order the #CaneloBerlanga fight today: pic.twitter.com/oFjkZwIzHc
– Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) September 7, 2024
