Canelo Álvarez Beats Edgar Berlanga By UD in Boxing Fight to Retain Unified Title

Alex BallentineSeptember 15, 2024

Canelo Alvarez punches Edgar BerlangaSteve Marcus/Getty Images

Saul “Canelo” Álvarez continued his reign over the super middleweight division with a unanimous decision win over Edgar Berlanga to retain his WBO and WBC 168-pound titles.

Lance Pugmire @pugboxingCanelo ready to win a wide decision here that included a knockdown. Scores: 117-110, 118-109 twice for @Canelo

Canelo did not look like a fighter who had any interest in going all 12 rounds with his opponent from the outset. He was dialed in from the first round on.

The first real highlight came in the third as the champion’s constant pressure with his footwork opened up the opportunity for a lightning-quick left hand to find a home. Berlanga got a good taste of Álvarez’s power.

WBA Boxing @WBABoxingCanelo’s power 💣 pic.twitter.com/1IK6WLsnm7

He beat the count but the damage was done.

One of the most dramatic moments of the bout actually came in the fifth round when things got a little chippy. Álvarez took exception to a low blow landed by his opponent and ended up throwing a punch while the ref was trying to break the two apart.

Mike Coppinger @MikeCoppingerRound 5: Alvarez was incensed after Berlanga hit him low and returned one of his own. After Harvey Dock intervened to take control, Alvarez swung wildly at Berlanga in the corner. Berlanga isn’t opening up much but Canelo must find a way to score the KO here. 10-9, Canelo. 50-44,…

Every turn proved that Canelo was the technically superior fighter. He consistently beat his opponent to the punch or had answers for everything his opponent threw at him.

Drama cropped up again in the eighth round as Álvarez looked for the knockout and landed a significant blow shortly after getting head-butted by his opponent.

Premier Boxing Champions @premierboxingCanelo Alvarez makes @edgarberlanga pay for the headbutt‼️🇲🇽🔥🇵🇷 #CaneloBerlanga pic.twitter.com/Ti7INFsTGa

It wasn’t all bad for the challenger. Several noted his willingness to stand and trade in the ring. It didn’t allow him to make much headway in the bout but spoke to his toughness.

Premier Boxing Champions @premierboxing.@EdgarBerlangaJr trades with Canelo, showing he’s not scared to stand toe-to-toe with the champ. #CaneloBerlanga pic.twitter.com/o0e6LW3LXx

The bout continued a trend of one-sided performances for Canelo as he continues to look like a top fighter into his mid-30’s. Álvarez maintained his twice-a-year fight schedule, pairing his unanimous decision victory over Jaime Munguia from May.

In reality, it also continues a trend of Álvarez punching below his weight in terms of competition, and he was a massive favorite in this bout for a reason. It was Berlanga’s first professional defeat, but this was also a huge step up in competition.

While Álvarez has battled some of the biggest names of his generation, Berlanga hadn’t seen anyone as skilled or experienced as the champion.

Next time we see Canelo in the ring it might be in a much bigger fight. Mike Coppinger of ESPN reported that Álvarez now has his sights set on a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in May.

However, Bivol has balked at the idea of a rematch.

“I don’t have him on my agenda, my mind is elsewhere right now,” stated the WBA champion in an interview with Fight Hub via Marca.com. “I have another route. Maybe in the future, we can face each other again, but not in the short term.”

Bivol beat Álvarez back in May 2022 in a light heavyweight title fight. The loss sent Canelo back down to 168 pounds where he has ripped off five consecutive wins.

For the rematch to happen, Bivol will need to win a huge title fight against Artur Beterbiev scheduled for October 12.

If Bivol comes out of that fight cleanly it could set up at least one more megafight for Álvarez to cash in on.