LAS VEGAS -- On Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, Canelo Alvarez, boxing's reigning star, successfully defended his unified super middleweight championship with a unanimous decision over Edgar Berlanga.
In the third round, Alvarez delivered a devastating left hook that sent Berlanga to the canvas, showcasing his signature punch. The judges awarded Alvarez scores of 117-110, 118-109, and 118-109, while ESPN had it even more lopsided at 120-107.
This victory marks Alvarez's fifth consecutive decision win and continues his streak of knockdowns, having not secured a knockout since his November 2021 triumph over Caleb Plant.
"Now what are they going to say?" Alvarez, 34, remarked during his post-fight interview. "I fight younger opponents, and they say I fight older ones. There’s always something to criticize. My experience, talent, hard work, and intelligence all come together to make me the best. Talent alone isn’t enough without discipline."
Ranked No. 5 in ESPN's pound-for-pound list, Alvarez is a boxing legend. In contrast, Berlanga was competing at the world-class level for the first time. Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) was a substantial -1600 favorite according to ESPN BET, and a -250 favorite to win by knockout.
Despite his high stakes, Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) seldom threw power punches, evidently cautious of giving one of the sport’s top counter-punchers an opportunity. After being knocked down, Berlanga, while sitting on the canvas and tapping his gloves together, shifted into survival mode.
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Alvarez pressed forward, closing the distance while Berlanga maintained his range with a consistent jab. Despite Berlanga's resilience and toughness on the inside, he was cautious, unwilling to risk becoming a knockout casualty.
"I'm disappointed," Berlanga said. "I fought a legend tonight. Hopefully, this is the beginning of my journey toward becoming a future legend. I think I took his best shot in the third round."
The Brooklyn native of Puerto Rican descent started his career with 16 first-round knockouts, but as he faced tougher competition, his power seemed to wane. Berlanga, 27, came into this title bout following a sixth-round knockout victory over Padraig McCrory in February.
Alvarez, clearly operating on a different level, demonstrated his superior experience throughout the fight. He was the more composed fighter, although he was occasionally irritated by Berlanga’s rough tactics, prompting multiple warnings from referee Harvey Dock.
"Fighters try to disrupt each other’s rhythm," Berlanga remarked.
Headlining once again on Mexican Independence Day weekend, a prime spot for boxing’s biggest stars, Alvarez declined to discuss potential opponents for his next fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Ahead of the bout, Alvarez had expressed interest in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, who defeated him in May 2022 at 175 pounds, provided Bivol emerges victorious against Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed light heavyweight title on October 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Another potential opponent was ringside: Terence Crawford, the future Hall of Famer who remains undefeated. Crawford, who made his debut in the 154-pound division last month with a victory over Israil Madrimov, expressed his desire to fight Alvarez at the full 168-pound limit without a rehydration clause.
"I think it would establish who the true king of this era is, post-Mayweather," Crawford told ESPN on Thursday.
Regardless of who Alvarez faces next, he will be pursuing his first knockout victory since November 2021, although he has lost very few rounds in his recent fights.
Alvarez declared, "I'm the best fighter in the world."