Edgar Berlanga Claims: Bringing Something Different to the Table Against Canelo Alvarez

Edgar Berlanga believes he brings more to the table in a fight against Canelo Alvarez in September than any other fighter the Mexican star has fought.

Berlanga (22-0, 17KOs) doesn't lack confidence like many East Coast fighters. Fans see this as a poor match for Canelo and fear that he may choose to face the unproven WBA champion.

Tune-Up Fight

Canelo has yet to confirm whether he will fight Berlanga, 27, next, but it is believed he will be his opponent for one last fight before he faces Terence Crawford in the 2025 primetime round.

Berlanga is good for preparation purposes because it gives Canelo a chance to take a break from fighting high-level opponents for easy wins before facing Crawford.

What's impressive about Berlanga is how confident he is about someone who has been likened to tomato cans his entire career by his promoters at Top Rank in the beginning, a tradition that happened when Matchroom signed the New Yorker.

The narrative of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico

“You know I'm going to make that bag, and we're going to beat him,” Edgar Berlanga told Cigar Talk about his belief that he will beat Canelo Alvarez in September.

I hope this fight is about more than Berlanga getting “that bag” because fans won't be happy paying to see a fight if it doesn't at least make it fun.

Berlanga has not fared well in his fights with Roamer Alexis Angulo, Marcelo Conceres, Steve Rolls, Jason Quigley, and Demond Nicholson.

Although Berlanga says Padraig McCrory is the best opponent he's ever faced, it's hard to take the 36-year-old Irishman seriously because his book was empty, and he didn't look like a world-class fighter when they fought last February.

“It is my heritage. Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. Everyone keeps talking about that war. I feel I deserve to go out,” said Berlanga. “Now I see it's time for me to reach that level,” Berlanga said when asked how he defeated Canelo.

Edgar feels he has to be “taken out” to have a chance to beat Canelo. Those are just words.

A fallen person has that quality about him, or he doesn't. Don't just go crazy and be fearless in the ring if you haven't been that way your whole career. A reckless fight with Canelo is not smart for Berlanga because his defense is already bad, and his chin is under steel.

“I know him [Canelo] I've fought big punchers and everybody, but I feel it, it's different. I will bring something different to the table,” said Berlanga.

This is Canelo's takedown from his last fight with Jaime Munguia. He's a much better fighter than Berlanga, but again, it's a disservice to the Mexican star. It would have been better if Berlanga fought Munguia or Morrell to prove himself worthy of a fight with Canelo rather than Padraig McCrory.

“I raise the competition. My IQ is through the roof. In my last fight I knew someone was going to fight,” Berlanga said of his victory over 36-year-old Irish boxer Padraig McCrory last February. “I knew you had the power to win [50% KO rate].

“I knew him [McCrory] it was my toughest fighter on my resume. So, I was already there. “I knew what kind of knockout I needed to secure my place in the ring with Canelo, and I did that,” said Berlanga.

Berlanga has yet to raise the competition, so his comments about how he raises his game and IQ against better opposition are beside the point. If you've ever fought Morrell, you can tell if he elevates his game or not.

Berlanga's victory over McCrory made it mandatory for the WBA 'regular' 168-lb champion David Morrell, but Edgar turned down that fight for obvious reasons, preferring to wait for Canelo to bless him with the title. Cuban talent Morrell would be a nightmare for Berlanga.

“This is going to be a different kind of dimension to this fight [Canelo]. I got Puerto Ricans, I got Russians, I got Chinese, I got white people. I got everyone. I am not limited to the Latino community. Obviously, it's boxing, so they will put Puerto Rico and Mexico,” said Berlanga.

I hope Berlanga will attract more fans to his fight with Canelo if he gets it. It's hard to believe that Berlanga has a huge following in New York when he hasn't fought any top competition.

“I am a person who plays a big role. I know many people like knockouts, that's what I offer,” said Berlanga.