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Canelo Alvarez Dominates Edgar Berlanga to Win Unanimous Decision
In a thrilling showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez successfully defended his super middleweight title against Edgar Berlanga. The fight, which took place in front of a packed audience of 20,312, displayed Alvarez’s boxing prowess as he outpointed Berlanga by a wide margin on Saturday night.
At 34 years old, Alvarez improved his record to 61 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws. He demonstrated his experience and skill throughout the match, overwhelming the 27-year-old Berlanga, who suffered his first professional defeat, bringing his record to 22 wins and one loss.
Alvarez made a statement after the bout, expressing pride in his performance despite criticisms regarding his competition. “I did good. Now what are they going to say? They said I don’t fight young fighters,” Alvarez remarked. “They always talk, but I’m the best fighter in the world.”
The fight judges scored it decisively in Alvarez’s favor, with scores of 118-109 from Max DeLuca and Steve Weisfeld, and 117-110 from David Sutherland.
While Berlanga managed to throw a comparable number of punches, his accuracy lagged significantly behind the champion’s. Alvarez connected with approximately 43.3% of his strikes, landing 201 out of 464 punches, whereas Berlanga could only land 119 of 446, reflecting a mere 26.7% accuracy. Alvarez’s power punches were also notably effective, hitting 49.1% of his 271 attempted.
Despite Alvarez’s dominance, the fight nearly shifted in momentum when he landed a sharp left hook that knocked Berlanga down in the third round. Subsequently, Alvarez followed up with a right uppercut in the fifth and a powerful hook in the sixth, indicating an impending finish. However, Berlanga showcased his resilience, refusing to back down from the challenge posed by his idol, who he later praised after the fight.
Berlanga’s determination showed through as he exchanged punches with Alvarez, and even when he appeared reckless in the seventh round, he remained undeterred. He missed a wild right hand that saw him fall to the canvas and faced a warning for an accidental headbutt in the eighth round.
In additional boxing action during an exciting night for combat sports in Las Vegas, the UFC also held an event nearby, featuring a lineup boasting seven Mexican fighters.
Alvarez entered the ring as a heavy favorite, closing at -1600 at BetMGM Sportsbook, meaning that a bet of $1,600 would yield a profit of $100. However, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) stripped Alvarez of his title prior to the fight due to his choice to face Berlanga instead of their mandatory challenger, William Scull.
Another bout worth mentioning was the WBA middleweight championship where 41-year-old Erislandy Lara defended his title against Danny Garcia. Lara secured a TKO victory in the ninth round after administering a crushing left jab, prompting Garcia’s corner to call it quits.
Caleb Plant also made headlines with an impressive comeback against Trevor McCumby for the interim WBA super middleweight belt. After a knockdown in the fourth round, Plant dominated the later rounds and delivered enough punishment to have the referee stop the fight in the ninth round.
“I knew I had him hurt and had to go to work,” he said after his victory. “It was time to get my belt. Now I’m ready to go home and play with my daughter.”
Rolando Romero rounded out the card with a unanimous decision win over Manual Jaimes, improving his record to 16-2. All three judges saw the fight similarly, scoring it 99-91 in favor of Romero.
With packed venues and thrilling performances, the night signified a celebration of boxing and Mexican culture, bringing fans to their feet in Las Vegas.
Source: AP
