Eddie Hearn insists Canelo Alvarez isn’t selecting a comfortable contact together with his choice of Edgar Berlanga for the September 14th title protection on September 14th on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas.
Matchroom promoter Hearn factors out that Berlanga is much like Canelo’s earlier opponent, Jaime Munguia, and he seen it as a “pretty even struggle” final Might. He says Berlanga is necessary for Canelo’s WBA and is the best choice obtainable.
Berlanga: A Obligatory Challenger, Not a Delicate Contact
Berlanga was David Morrell’s necessary for his WBA ‘common’ tremendous middleweight title, however he didn’t wish to struggle him for apparent causes. Morrell would have doubtless crushed Berlanga fairly simply. Canelo inherited Berlanga as his WBA necessary after Morrell moved as much as 175, however he didn’t should struggle him if he didn’t wish to.
If Canelo didn’t need the Berlanga struggle, he might have ignored him as he’d performed together with his WBC necessary David Benavidez and IBF necessary William Scull.
Hearn promoted Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), so it wouldn’t make sense for him to confess that Canelo deliberately selected a straightforward opponent for his September 14th struggle. You wouldn’t anticipate Hearn to inform it like it’s and say Canelo picked an terrible fighter with a dreadful document who doesn’t fee a title shot.
Hearn’s View: Canelo By no means Geese a Problem
“I don’t assume so. Simply earlier than the Golovkin struggle, he fought Dmitry Bivol, and he acquired beat,” mentioned Eddie Hearn to Boxing Information, reacting to being informed that some followers really feel Canelo Alvarez is being matched towards beatable opposition.
When Canelo selected Bivol for a struggle in 2022, Bivol had just lately fought Craig Richards and regarded horrible in that struggle. Bivol received, but it surely was shut, and he regarded timid. It’s believed that Canelo chosen Bivol due to how he regarded towards Richards. If not for that, Canelo would have steered away from him and prevented a loss.
“Earlier than that, he fought [40-year-old] Gennadiy Golovkin in a trilogy,” mentioned Hearn about Canelo. Even Jermell Charlo, it’s all very nicely after the actual fact, however when the struggle will get made, and it’s the undisputed 154-pounder stepping as much as 168, then unexpectedly, he [Canelo] wins simply, and it’s a mismatch.”
Followers on social media had been extremely vital of Canelo for selecting to struggle Jermell Charlo final 12 months as an alternative of defending towards David Benavidez. They weren’t praising that choice, and few thought Jermell might win. Followers noticed it as a cherry-pick, and that’s what it was.
It was one other instance of Canelo preventing an opponent two divisions beneath him as a result of he’d performed it towards Amir Khan in 2016. Subsequent 12 months, Canelo will doubtless face one other fighter who comes up with two divisions when he fights Terence Crawford. Many consider a struggle is within the pipeline between Canelo and Crawford subsequent 12 months in the event that they win their subsequent fights.
“Jaime Munguia was on a terrific run [when he fought Canelo],” mentioned Hearn. “He stopped John Ryder. I don’t see too many dissimilarities between Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga. That’s a reasonably even struggle, however Edgar Berlanga is the [WBA] necessary [for Canelo].”
Munguia was a fighter matched towards mediocre opposition all through his 11-year profession. The perfect two opponents Munguia had fought earlier than getting the Canelo struggle final Might had been 38-year-old Sergiy Derevyanchenko and 35-year-old John Ryder. These had been B-level fighters at finest by the point Munguia fought them. If he’d confronted both man again in 2016, he’d have misplaced.
Some followers really feel that Munguia’s complete profession was based mostly on him preventing marginal opposition simply to get the Canelo struggle. Munguia had been linked to Alvarez’s identify from the very starting as a possible future opponent.
Restricted Choices for Canelo
“William Scull is the [IBF] necessary. It’s a a lot better struggle than William Scull,” mentioned Hearn about Berlanga being a greater choice than Scull. “It’s Mexico vs. Puerto Rico [for the Berlanga fight].”
In fact, Berlanga is a greater choice than Scull for Canelo as a result of he’s from New York, has followers within the metropolis, and was proven on ESPN and DAZN to the American public. Scull is a fighter that the IBF ranked excessive based mostly on wins over obscure opposition, and he’s based mostly in Germany. Berlanga continues to be not a good selection for Canelo, however he’s higher than Scull.
“Who else can Canelo Alvarez struggle proper now aside from David Benavidez?” mentioned Hearn. “For no matter purpose, he’s moved to mild heavyweight, in order that doesn’t appear to be it’s occurring.”
Hearn is forgetting David Morrell. Canelo might have fought him, however he selected to not. As a substitute, Canelo picked Berlanga, and it’s simple to see why.
“So, I feel Edgar Berlanga is an efficient choose. I feel he’ll give him a very good struggle, and it’ll be a very good occasion. However I don’t see quite a lot of different choices on the market for Canelo Alvarez, if I’m sincere. One factor I can say about Canelo Alvarez is he won’t ever duck a problem. There’s nobody he’s afraid of,” mentioned Hearn.
Berlanga is a horrible choose for Canelo, and his reputation has taken successful as a result of he determined to struggle him. Hearn isn’t about to criticize Canelo’s choice of Berlanga as a result of he promotes the New Yorker, and the struggle will usher in cash. There received’t be anything for Berlanga as a result of Canelo will blow him out of the water.
After Berlanga loses, Hearn can let him go as a result of he’ll have served his objective. There received’t be any extra large fights for Berlanga, and he received’t be price holding on Matchroom’s payroll. After shedding to Canelo, Berlanga can solely hope for a struggle towards Caleb Plant, which he’ll doubtless lose.
