Breaking: Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga Being Finalized for September 14

Since Saul “Canelo” Alvarez met the challenge of Jaime Munguia on May 4, winning a decisive unanimous decision, the question has been– Who’s next?

According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, that question is being answered with one of the more unappealing responses for hardcore boxing fans– Edgar Berlanga.

Per Coppinger’s Twitter/X account, the bout is slated for September 14, on Mexican Independence Day weekend in Las Vegas, at T-Mobile Arena. The show will go head to head with UFC 306 at The Sphere, also in Las Vegas.

Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s top star, is in the process of finalizing a deal for a super middleweight championship defense vs. Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN.

The fight will go head-to-head with UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/EbzQJ3YoiS

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) July 23, 2024

According to reports, Alvarez-Berlanga will be a joint promotion pay-per-view between Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), representing Alvarez, and Berlanga’s promoter Matchroom Boxing. As was the case for the Alvarez-Munguia show, selling the event will be a joint affair, with PBC making the show available for purchase through their broadcast outlet Amazon Prime and streaming service DAZN, which works with Berlanga and Matchroom, also having rights to sell the show on their own platform.

Earlier in the month, rumors started emerging that the list of possible opponents for the Mexican superstar had shrunk down to two names– Berlanga and WBC middleweight “champion in recess” Jermall Charlo. A week later, second-generation star Chris Eubank Jr. was added to that short list of potential foes.

The 27-year-old Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), however, remained the favorite to get the coveted Canelo B-side nod.

Who is Edgar Berlanga…and Why Him?

Berlanga’s Puerto Rican roots make a Canelo clash, tapping into the long and heated Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry, a marketing no-brainer.

The Mexico vs. Puerto Rico angle will be the major selling point for a fight which may prove to be a major letdown to fans expecting a competitive battle for Alvarez’s four super middleweight titles.

Close followers of the sport will be correct in their assessment that Berlanga, who is somehow Canelo’s WBA mandatory challenger, is nowhere near ready for a bout with the boxing cash cow, regarded as a legitimate top 5 pound-for-pound talent and a guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famer.

As a matter of fact, Berlanga was allowed out of his contract with Top Rank early last year after the New York-based fighter balked at the promotional company’s desire to remove him from main event status to undercard co-features to further fine tune his game.

Berlanga’s free agency didn’t last long, though, as Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing swooped in to sign him to a multi-fight deal, with the idea of eventually working the fighter into a big-money shot at Alvarez.

Up until now, Berlanga’s high-water mark victories have come against modest second and third-tier competition such as Steve Rolls, Roamer Alexis Angulo, Jason Quigley, and, most recently, Padraig McCrory.

The outspoken, brash “Chosen One,” definitely talks a good game, though—something which will definitely get on the nerves of the proud and sometimes touchy Alvarez and might also help sell what will likely be an ugly mismatch.

“He knows I’m about to make that bag, and we’re going to beat him,” Berlanga said during an interview on Cigar Talk earlier in the month, as rumors of his leading candidate status for Canelo emerged.

“It’s legacy for me. It’s Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. Everybody keeps talking about that fight. I feel I got to get bugged out,” Berlanga blustered. “Now, I feel it’s time for me to go to that level…

“I know he fought big punchers and everybody, but I feel with me, it’s something different. I’m going to bring something different to the table.”

From Rumor to Reality?

Alvarez, who turned 34 this month, continues to receive criticism for not answering the challenge of long-time super middleweight elite presence and consensus no. 1 contender David Benavidez.

“I don’t need to fight anybody,” Alvarez told media not too long ago, when asked about fighting Benavidez. “I don’t need to prove to anybody anything…I don’t need to prove anything to anybody…It is what it is.”