The unusually lengthy embrace Saul “Canelo” Álvarez and Edgar Berlanga shared as quickly as the ultimate bell sounded Saturday evening signified that the courageous Berlanga earned Álvarez’s respect throughout a 12-round combat that originally appeared like it might finish a lot earlier.
Álvarez blasted Berlanga with a flush left hook that dropped the massive underdog to the seat of his trunks barely a minute into the third spherical. Brooklyn’s Berlanga banged his gloves collectively in frustration, fought out of that bother and remained on his ft all through a combat BetMGM listed Álvarez as a 16-1 favourite to win.
Mexico’s Álvarez acknowledged that Berlanga “did good” throughout his post-fight interview with Jim Grey. The unified tremendous middleweight champion related unofficially on 49 p.c of his energy punches, nonetheless, and received a unanimous resolution by large distances on the scorecards of judges Max De Luca (118-109), David Sutherland (117-110) and Steve Weisfeld (118-109).
This lopsided loss amounted to a win for Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs), who was principally dismissed as an overmatched opponent who hadn’t actually earned his shot at Álvarez’s belts. Álvarez, in the meantime, went the gap in a fifth straight combat.
The Guadalajara native hasn’t produced a knockout since he stopped Caleb Plant in the course of the eleventh spherical of their championship unification combat in November 2021. That positively didn’t appear to matter to the 34-year-old legend’s loyal followers who packed T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas for one more Álvarez celebration two days earlier than Mexico’s Independence Day.
Now that this one-sided showcase is behind him, the main target shortly shifted Saturday evening towards what’s subsequent for Álvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs). He may not return to the ring till Might 3, however boxing’s largest star in the US didn’t say whether or not he’ll combat earlier than then, nor did he point out any potential opponents for his subsequent bout in his interview with Grey.
Boxing’s 168-pound king might proceed dealing with youthful, unbeaten tremendous middleweight contenders, even when he had been to maintain avoiding David Benavidez — the undefeated, two-time former WBC tremendous middleweight champion and longtime WBC No. 1 contender who moved as much as mild heavyweight for his final bout as a result of he couldn’t safe a shot at Álvarez.
Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), a Cameroon native who resides and trains in Montreal, is ranked No. 1 by the WBC. Los Angeles’ Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) is the WBO’s No. 1 contender at 168 kilos.
Neither Mbilli nor Pacheco are thought of succesful sufficient to upset Álvarez, however the relentless Mbilli’s all-action fashion would probably result in a fan-friendly combat nonetheless lengthy it lasted.
Álvarez additionally might pursue a rematch with Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) if the WBA mild heavyweight champion defeats IBF/WBC/WBO champ Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) of their extremely anticipated 175-pound title unification combat Oct. 12 at Kingdom Enviornment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Russia’s Bivol beat Alvarez convincingly of their 12-round combat for Bivol’s belt in Might 2022 at T-Cellular Enviornment, but Alvarez and his handlers imagine Bivol out-priced himself in negotiations for a rematch that by no means materialized.
A victory over Beterbiev clearly would intensify fan curiosity in a Bivol-Álvarez rematch. Bivol has repeatedly acknowledged that he would drop down from mild heavyweight to tremendous middleweight to show weight wasn’t the first cause he out-boxed Álvarez and received a unanimous resolution 28 months in the past.
In fact, Álvarez might safe a a lot larger payday than he’d earn for any of the aforementioned fights if he had been to embrace what the icon considers a no-win scenario with Terence Crawford.
Like Álvarez, Crawford is a four-weight world champion and has lengthy been ranked amongst boxing’s high 5 fighters pound-for-pound. Crawford would wish to maneuver up two extra weight lessons, although, to problem Álvarez for his tremendous middleweight crowns.
Álvarez contends that he wouldn’t obtain what he deems commensurate credit score for defeating a generational expertise like Crawford as a result of Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) has fought solely as soon as above the welterweight most of 147 kilos. Crawford’s cautious technique in opposition to Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) throughout his 154-pound debut — a 12-round, unanimous-decision win Aug. 3 in Los Angeles — prompt that leaping up two extra divisions may very well be too tall of an order for the WBA tremendous welterweight champion.
Crawford’s important dimension drawback and its accompanying criticism are among the many causes Álvarez expects to be paid 9 figures for an interesting combat that has piqued the curiosity of most boxing followers.
Crawford ought to nonetheless be essentially the most interesting choice for Álvarez’s subsequent combat if he doesn’t lastly conform to field Benavidez. Although Crawford can be a determined underdog, Alvarez-Crawford would draw the kind of mainstream media consideration and generate the requisite income streams to think about it the most important combat in boxing in the meanwhile.
Álvarez’s acrimonious relationship with Turki Alalshikh, who has turn out to be essentially the most influential determine in boxing over the previous 12 months, might stop Álvarez-Crawford from changing into a actuality. Alalshikh, chairman of the Basic Leisure Authority of Saudi Arabia, attacked Alvarez on social media final month for his unwillingness to battle Benavidez.
Their insults however, monumental sums of cash make many individuals forgive, if not overlook, and Alalshikh has gone on an unprecedented spending spree since late final summer time. Álvarez already has earned extra money than his kids might spend throughout his celebrated profession, however as he demonstrated Saturday evening, he’s a shrewd businessman virtually as a lot as he’s a prideful, ferocious fighter.
If Álvarez was prepared to endure, and in some ways ignore, the scrutiny that got here together with choosing an undeserving, unproven opponent in Berlanga, a comparable precept ought to apply to battling an unbeaten, bold, smaller fighter who sits atop loads of pound-for-pound lists and shall be a first-ballot Corridor of Famer.
Frankly, Álvarez and Crawford want one another to make the most important bout attainable in the event that they’re not going to face the opponents inside their respective divisions that the paying public most needs them to combat.
A lot to the dismay of followers who need Crawford to combat WBC interim tremendous welterweight champ Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) or IBF welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs, 1 NC), Crawford sadly has acknowledged that he isn’t enthusiastic about both of these intriguing challenges. Crawford will flip 37 on Sept. 28 and understands he, too, might eclipse 9 figures for a mega-fight in opposition to Álvarez as a result of Crawford is aligned with Alalshikh.
Crawford might additionally accept fights with much less harmful 154-pound champions than Ortiz and even retire undefeated. The Omaha, Nebraska, native is as an alternative intent on risking his “0” by dealing with a heavier, stronger, elite-level opponent in Álvarez.
Crawford’s critics have nonetheless lambasted him for chasing a payday, not greatness, in what’s extensively seen as a no-lose scenario for him. Whereas Álvarez has made some unusual statements concerning why he received’t combat Benavidez, Crawford has been largely unapologetic about not wanting to check himself in opposition to youthful, hungry professional threats.
Nonetheless Álvarez and Crawford select to elucidate these choices in the course of the again ends of their careers, in the event that they’re not going to face the youthful, high opponents of their respective divisions that followers most need them to combat, they seemingly want one another to do the most important enterprise attainable.
