The Prime Video exclusive series Gloves Off premiered its latest episodes on Sunday, focusing on all things Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2, 29 KOs) vs. Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) as they will meet on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on PPV. As we get closer to the two combatants facing off in the center of the ring, Gloves Off goes behind the scenes to each fighter’s training camp to get a more in-depth look at their training regimen and some of the personal things that make them who they are.
While Showtime Boxing is no longer around to give us All Access, the same crew is being used to film Gloves Off but with a slightly different approach as they distinguish scenes with chapters. Although the run time of the two episodes combined is a mere 23 minutes, it speaks to the short attention span society we are in where less is more.
Gloves Off Episode 1- “I Fight For Me”
The episode’s introduction gives you the highlight reels of both fighters, but what was more interesting is that they took the footage of the LA press conference and used that as the table setter for the episode. When the fight was announced, fans bashed it right away, and the NY part of the press tour did not help with getting the event over with the fans. It wasn’t until Berlanga insulted Canelo in LA and disrespected him with sound bites galore that people started to pay attention. We live in an era in which drama sells more than ever, and Gloves Off episode one rightfully used that angle to get fans interested in what would come later in the program.
Chapter One, “Next One Up,” takes place in Truckee, CA, where Canelo has held his training camp for the past couple of fights. He’s seen running, and his voice-over talks about how Berlanga was chosen as it’s a fight the fans will enjoy watching. He knows the press conference got intense and that Berlanga is coming to win. Canelo is seen working at his gym, and then it goes back to some highlights of his career. Before ending this portion of the episode, Canelo is asked what round he will knock out Berlanga. Canelo replied, “No more than eight rounds.”
The camera crew then goes to Boulder, CO, where Berlanga is training in the high-altitude environment where air is extremely thin. Berlanga is seen walking and motivating himself about the fight. He then goes into how Canelo feels like he’s doing him a favor but that he is coming for his spot. Berlanga doesn’t respect Canelo and feels he is must-see TV amongst the fight fans.
Chapter Two, “Not Picked, Chosen,” starts with Berlanga going into an ice bath while watching Canelo vs. Dmitry Bivol on his iPad as he studies it. Berlanga continues claiming he wants to be a legend and take over the world. The episode goes into his knockout streak and how he got to this point where he is challenging Canelo.
Gloves Off Episode 2-“You Gonna See Motherf*cker”
Episode Two begins with Canelo running through the mountains and discussing what the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry means to him and boxing. The episode returns to the LA presser highlights, and Canelo finishes the segment by saying, “I have already won the fight, and I’m grateful for the victory on September 14.”
The episode shifts back to Canelo who is seen sitting on the ring apron in his gym watching Gloves Offepisode one, where Berlanga is talking smack. Canelo just laughs and says, “I like them like that. I like them to be confident and do a lot of talking. I like breaking their face when they play like that.” Then it goes to Chapter Three, “Don’t Poke The Bear,” where it breaks down what happened to Canelo’s opponents that provoked him before the fight. While sitting on the couch, Canelo says there is no way Berlanga beats him.
They go back to Boulder, CO where Berlanga is eating a healthy breakfast with his team and enjoying his time with his family. Then, they are all sitting around watching Canelo fights, and Berlanga breaks down what he sees in Canelo’s style. That leads into Chapter Four, “Born For This,” where Berlanga is on a video call with Hip Artists Jim Jones and Fat Joe as they hype him up while in training camp.
The episode goes down a more personal road as Berlanga discusses growing up with his father in and out of prison. Berlanga talks how hard those moments were for him, which made him the person he is today. His father was seen playing with his grandson and cherishing those priceless moments. The final part of the episode is a training montage for both fighters as they lead into a commercial to purchase the PPV.
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