Edgar Berlanga’s greatest probability of upsetting Canelo Alvarez on Saturday evening is to blitz him within the first quarter of the combat, unloading on him with full salvos and on the lookout for a quick knockout on September 14th on the T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas.
The Blitz: Berlanga’s Early Assault
Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) is in his greatest component when he goes after his opponents instantly, as that’s when his energy is at full capability. He knocked out his first 16 opponents within the first spherical by going full throttle from 2016 to 2020.
Granted, these fighters had been cabdriver high quality, however knocking out anybody that quick reveals the sort of punching energy that Berlanga possesses.
Furthermore, like David Benavidez, Berlanga is one other instance of a fighter who melts down big quantities of weight to compete at 168 and arguably needs to be preventing at 175 in opposition to fighters his measurement.
A Gentle Heavyweight in Disguise
Berlanga remains to be younger sufficient to lose the water-weight to get to tremendous middleweight with out it draining his power. So, on Saturday, Canelo will primarily be preventing a light-weight heavyweight with the ability of a fighter from the 175-lb division.
That’s another excuse Berlanga has a shot of successful this combat if he can land his highly effective pictures in rounds one via three. If he can’t knock out Canelo through the combat, his possibilities of successful drop to nothing.
“It relies on how exact Berlanga is along with his punching energy. If he’s exact along with his punches, he’ll make Canelo hold his palms at house. He gained’t be prepared to counter,” mentioned Roy Jones Jr. to the Combat Hub TV YouTube channel, discussing the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga combat on Saturday.
Precision is Key
Berlanga isn’t exact along with his punches. That’s the issue. He throws winging pictures with full energy on them, and lots of of them are broad of the mark, even in opposition to the C and D-level fighters that his promoters at Matchroom and High Rank have fed him. He’s wild with punches, trying to rating fast knockouts, and that strategy will go away many openings for Canelo if his accuracy hasn’t improved.
If Berlanga is correct along with his pictures, Canelo goes to be in a world of damage on Saturday as a result of this man is a real gentle heavyweight with energy that it up there with the highest guys within the 175-lb division. He doesn’t have Artur Beterbiev-type energy, however he’s shut.
“In the event that they’re not exact punches, then Canelo goes to come back between,” mentioned Roy Jr about Berlanga. “That shall be decided by how good Berlanga’s punches are. For 3 or 4 rounds, it’s going to be implausible if it lasts that lengthy.”
Berlanga goes to be a headache for Canelo via three rounds, and it gained’t be a shock if he knocks out the Mexican star or places him down two or 3 times. He’s acquired to be correct along with his pictures, although, as a result of if he’s lacking, like we’ve seen up to now, Canelo will piece him up.
Can Berlanga Climate the Storm?
“I don’t know if Berlanga can take Canelo’s punch. I feel Canelo can take his as a result of I’ve but to see Canelo actually damage in a combat,” mentioned Jones Jr. “It shouldn’t be a giant upset [if Berlanga wins] as a result of when a man goes 16 and 0 with all first-round knockouts, that tells you he has distinctive punching energy, and if he catches anybody proper at any time, he can take them out.”
The uppercut that Canelo dropped Jaime Munguia with within the fourth spherical of their combat on Might 4th this 12 months would probably knock out Berlanga. Even when he acquired up from that shot, Canelo would shortly end him off. Surprisingly, Munguia survived getting dropped by that shot as a result of he was badly damage and would have been simply completed off if Canelo had poured it on.
“That’s why he has to make use of that coming into this combat. If he doesn’t use that, what good does that do you to construct that fame? I feel he provides a greater combat than Munguia did, however besides down the stretch, I don’t know if it’ll be nearly as good a combat as a result of I don’t know if he can stand up to the stuff that Munguia withstood and saved coming at. I don’t know if Berlanga can take that sort of punishment and hold going,” mentioned Roy Jr.
Berlanga has already proven in his fights in opposition to Roamer Alexis Angulo, Steve Rolls, and Marcelo Esteban Coceres that he doesn’t have a very good fuel tank to maintain preventing arduous through the later rounds. He’s a really common fighter within the championship rounds, wanting extra C-level than A-level in high quality. If Berlanga remains to be round by that time within the combat, Canelo will wipe him out.
You may’t run from @EdgarBerlangaJr as soon as he has you damage. He’s the definition of punching via the guard.
Order the #CaneloBerlanga combat in the present day: https://t.co/eGeOKgB6pI pic.twitter.com/oFjkZwIzHc
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) September 7, 2024
