close
close

Canelo Álvarez defeats Edgar Berlanga and retains the super middleweight belt by unanimous decision

Canelo Álvarez is still the king of the super middleweight division after his fight against Edgar Berlanga. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Álvarez spent his Saturday doing what he usually does on Mexican Independence Day weekends this time of year: minding his business. In this case, it was a win over undefeated challenger Edgar Berlanga.

The unified super middleweight champion outclassed the undefeated challenger in a unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109), his fifth consecutive title defense over the full distance.

Unlike other fights where he needed time to get going, the clear favorite Álvarez had the advantage from the first round. He took the first two rounds calmly before knocking Berlanga down with a left hook in the third round. More punches followed, but Berlanga managed to survive.

Álvarez got better as the fight went on, but Berlanga's trash talk remained high throughout. Berlanga made more missteps, including a warning for an intentional headbutt and a fall after swinging and missing a power punch. He spent much of the pre-fight period teasing Álvarez, and that continued throughout the fight, with Álvarez sometimes ranting back.

But in the end, Berlanga landed more words than punches. The couple at least hugged each other warmly after the final bell and both probably knew exactly what decision was coming.

Despite the loss, it was still a decent performance for Berlanga. He built his reputation through a series of first-round knockouts, but was a huge underdog on Saturday. Álvarez still seemed a class above him, but in the end, the 27-year-old looked like he belonged, and that can be a win in itself as he looks for his next opponent.

As for Álvarez, he hasn't won by finish since stopping Caleb Plant, who won the previous Saturday, in November 2021. That may not bode well for how old the 34-year-old is getting.

The bigger question now, however, is where Álvarez goes from here. Rising star David Benavidez might be the easiest answer, but Álvarez may still want a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, the only fighter to beat him since Floyd Mayweather in 2013. And who knows? Maybe a superfight against super welterweight king Terence Crawford is on the cards.

Here's how it all went down according to Yahoo Sports:

The live broadcast has ended71 updates

  • RESULT: Canelo Alvarez defeated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision

  • Fight ends after 12 rounds

    Canelo was unable to finish the fight after the early knockdown. Berlanga showed incredible toughness and his granite chin. The two embrace after the final bell.

  • Round 10 ends

    Scenes at the end of the round as Canelo casually walks back to his corner before the bell. Berlanga catches him and lands a powerful punch that Canelo shakes off as the bell sounds.

  • Round 8 ends

    The action slows down. Berlanga comes in with his head and Canelo counters with a hard right to make him pay. The referee stops the action to warn Berlanga, who has no answer to the illegal punch or what Canelo hits him with.

  • Round 6 ends

    Canelo slows down a bit but still seems to land at will. Berlanga tries to land a hard right but can't get Canelo's timing right.

  • Round 5 ends

    Canelo is doing Canelo things while Berlanga is barely getting anything done. Canelo leads 5-0 by knockdown.

  • Round 4 ends

    Berlanga is showing his toughness. He won't stop without giving this Canelo everything he has. It's just not enough.

  • Round 3 ends

    Big knockdown for Canelo with a huge left hook. Berlanga somehow survives the round, but Canelo smells blood

  • Unified super middleweight title: Canelo Álvarez defeated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109)

  • WBA middleweight title: Erislandy Lara defeats Danny Garcia by RTD at 3:00 of R9

  • WBA Interim Super Middleweight Title: Caleb Plant defeats Trevor McCumby by technical knockout after 2:59 in round 9

  • Featherweight: Rolando Romero def. Manuel Jaimes by unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 99-91)

You may also like...