One of boxing’s most talked about stars will soon return to the ring. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (61-2-2, 39KOs) will defend his super middleweight titles against Puerto Rican challenger Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 14.
For Canelo, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, next Saturday’s fight affords him the chance to display his drawing power in the sport. This comes at a time when most neutral observers think his skills are eroding, and many boxing fans on social media have criticized the 34-year-old for fighting Berlanga instead of David Benavidez or David Morrell. Despite these potentially negative factors surrounding the buildup, Canelo vs. Berlanga is selling well with the fight going public. Canelo’s fan base pays up and turns up when he fights. It could be argued that, even at this late stage of his professional ring campaign, Canelo is still the biggest draw in boxing.
Being such a draw comes with positives and negatives, of course. To Canelo’s credit, he generally seems to be able to ignore the external chatter about him and concentrate on preparing for battle. Currently on a four-fight winning streak but without a knockout win since November 2021, Canelo should be aiming for the 40th stoppage victory of his career against Berlanga. He may not receive much credit from his critics if he does knockout Berlanga, but it would keep his fans happy and ensure Canelo remains one of the most talked and written-about fighters heading into 2025.
May to September: Canelo’s Last Four Fights
Following an unsuccessful tilt at a light heavyweight title in May 2022 against Dmitry Bivol, Canelo returned four months later for the trilogy fight with longtime adversary Gennadiy Golovkin. That bout failed to hit the heights of the rivals’ previous two encounters, but Canelo walked away with a unanimous decision win. From there, it was forward to May 2023 and a homecoming bout for the Mexican at Estadio Akron in his home state of Jalisco. Englishman John Ryder was the opponent. Again, Canelo won by unanimous decision, but there were some grumbles of discontent about him being unable to stop Ryder – an opponent regarded as being many levels below Canelo.
Jermell Charlo was the next man to challenge Canelo for his super middleweight titles in September 2023. In what was a largely forgettable bout, mainly due to Charlo’s refusal to engage, Canelo took a one-sided unanimous decision on the cards. Again, there were some remarks bemoaning Canelo’s lack of desire to close the show early.
In September 2023, Canelo faced undefeated countryman Jaime Munguia. Entering as a heavy favourite, Canelo once again won via unanimous decision. Munguia was down in the fourth round. While the bout was more competitive than the Charlo contest, fans hoping for a stoppage win from the Mexican icon were once again disappointed. While a win is a win, Canelo will be aware of the opinions of boxing fans regarding his recent lack of knockouts. That may be the one aspect of fan opinion he does pay attention to. A KO win is long overdue.
Canelo’s Style Has Altered Slightly Over Time
Having been a professional boxer since 2005, Canelo has a lot of wear and tear. He has also endured injuries – most notably a hand and wrist complaint that troubled him in 2022 and 2023. As a result, he has adapted how he fights as the years have gone by. The subtle alterations he has incorporated into his boxing style are now more noticeable than ever.
While he has always been most comfortable being a counter-puncher, Canelo, in his earlier career, would capitalize on a successful counter by quickly turning up his offense. Now, that is more difficult for him as his foot speed has declined slightly. To go along with his counter-punching, Canelo, in years gone by, consistently applied front foot pressure. He would walk opponents down while being economical with punch output. The punch economy remains, but he doesn’t spend as much time per round stalking opponents.
Rather than throwing combinations, Canelo is more likely to throw singular power punches when he thinks his opponent is vulnerable. This lowers the number of times he lands on his foe in a fight. Perhaps he has stamina concerns, as we have seen this recently from Canelo. Despite not throwing in bunches as often, Canelo still has good hand speed for his weight class. Perhaps he will open up his offense a little more against Berlanga or press for a stoppage if and when he has him hurt. Hurting Berlanga shouldn’t be an issue as Canelo’s strength and technique remain. He’s not in position to utilize his power as often as he was prior to 2022, but when the moments do come along, Canelo’s opponents certainly feel the force.
Although his offense has declined somewhat, Canelo’s defense is still at a prime level. His chin is rock solid, he still uses his high guard, and he still has mobile upper body movement, which he employs to avoid being hit cleanly. With diminishing offense, perhaps made to look worse by a drop in work-rate, Canelo’s lack of recent stoppage wins was perhaps inevitable. He still has enough all-round skills to win the majority of fights at 168. It’s just not as eye-catching as leaving an opponent stricken on the canvas and walking away victorious while the referee counts them out.
Final Thoughts
High expectations follow when a fighter ascends to the top of the sport. While Canelo’s slight drop-off is understandable, there is still huge demand for him to deliver top-class displays regardless of opponent. It speaks volumes for Canelo’s standing in boxing that despite the acknowledgment of his long career, injuries and style adjustments, fans still demand he fights the very best and puts in a high level of performance.
Berlanga, for many, does not come into the “best in boxing” category, so it stands to reason that Canelo is expected to win in style at T-Mobile Arena next weekend. For the man himself though, he needs to block out the external noise and just focus on finding a way to win. As we’ve seen over the years, Canelo is pretty good at both.
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