As anticipated, Canelo Alvarez’s subsequent title protection will see him face WBA obligatory challenger Edgar Berlanga in the primary occasion of a September 14th Prime/DAZN PPV.
The press launch names solely the WBA, WBO, and WBC titles, suggesting that William Scull could not have accepted a step-aside deal in spite of everything.
I’ve already mentioned my piece on this one, however in brief: Berlanga (22-0, 17 KO) is an unappealing opponent by each metric save nationality and Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO) ought to have little bother ending his five-fight knockout drought if he retains his foot on the fuel. The WBA is a joke for refusing to implement their obligatory till David Morrell Jr was out of the image and the WBC is a joke for refusing to implement their obligatory in any respect.
“I’m very glad for this battle between Mexico and Puerto Rico,” mentioned Álvarez. “It’s thrilling to be a part of one other nice Mexico vs. Puerto Rico battle contained in the ring as a result of traditionally now we have all the time provided unforgettable fights stuffed with ardour. I’m proud to contribute to this legacy and going through an opponent like Edgar Berlanga provides much more pleasure and that means to this occasion.”
“At the start, I need to thank the nice Lord for placing me on this place,” mentioned Berlanga. “That is the chance of a lifetime. I need to be right here, and I’m going to shock the world and silence the critics by delivering a masterful efficiency and knocking out Canelo Álvarez on Sept. 14. I’ll show that my Puerto Rican heritage surpasses Mexican boxing, from Gómez to Trinidad to Cotto, and now to Berlanga. I’ll reclaim what’s rightfully ours. I’m able to make this a historic firefight, persevering with the best rivalry in boxing: Puerto Rico vs Mexico. Vamos arriba, puñeta!”
The co-feature sees WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (30-3-3, 18 KO) face Danny Garcia (37-3, 21 KO) in a battle that’s been on the desk for a number of years. Lara was final seen smoking obligatory challenger Michael Zerafa in March, making 2024 his first multi-fight yr since 2019, whereas Garcia hasn’t fought in any respect since beating a hobbled Jose Benavidez Jr in his 2022 tremendous welterweight debut.
That effort someway earned Garcia the no. 11 spot within the WBA’s middleweight rankings.
“My battle with Danny García can be a basic battle between two legendary fighters of our period,” mentioned Lara. “We’ve each confronted the very best, have spectacular resumes and have competed on the high degree for a very long time. I’m excited for this battle. I encourage all my Mexican followers to tune in on Mexican Independence Day, carry your flags and assist this nice occasion. I’ll symbolize not solely Cuba, but in addition Mexico on at the present time in opposition to Puerto Rico. To everybody watching at T-Cellular Area and on the pay-per-view on Prime Video, you’ll witness greatness within the ring all through the action-packed night time of boxing. I sit up for placing on a present and being the primary to knock out Danny García. This can be an epic showdown!”
“This can be a legacy battle and a chance to win a championship in my third weight class,” mentioned García. “Lara is a superb champion who’s been round for some time, however so have I. On Sept. 14, I’m bringing the Danny García present to Las Vegas and making it a historic night time.”
That is simply not a superb card, and to make issues worse, it’s butting heads with UFC 306 on the Sphere that night. Canelo’s star energy is the one pillar holding this factor upright and it’s on no account as much as the duty.