Saul “Canelo” Alvarez remains the measure of all things in the super middleweight division. On Saturday evening, he defended his title again in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, this time against the up-and-coming Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga.
Although Canelo put the pressure on early in the second round and worked Berlanga over with a combination on the ropes, the challenger initially remained unimpressed and countered with some impressive uppercuts. In the third round, however, Alvarez caught Berlanga with a perfect left hook that sent him to the floor. Berlanga got up again immediately but was visibly frustrated.
Canelo continued to dominate the action. He repeatedly drove Berlanga to the ropes, where he scored points with precise body shots and hard combinations. His ability to control the ring and dictate the fight was particularly impressive. Even though Berlanga had some good moments from time to time, he was never able to seriously threaten Alvarez.
In the eighth round, Alvarez again landed a heavy right hook followed by a sharp counter as Berlanga leaned too far forward with a right jab. In total, Canelo landed 49 body shots, while Berlanga only managed 18 to the body. This once again showed the champion’s efficiency.
Although Berlanga took more risks in the final rounds, he was unable to turn the fight around. Alvarez remained the clearly dominant man in the ring and won unanimously on points in the end. The judges scored him 117-110 and twice 118-109.
Alvarez was satisfied after the fight and explained: “My experience and my talent made the difference. I proved that I am the best fighter in the world.” Berlanga, on the other hand, was combative: “I gave my best and am proud to have fought a legend.”