By Ron Harris – (Posted September 14, 2024)

Las Vegas – Canelo Alvarez will go down in history as one of the all-time great fighters.  He is a no nonsense, smart, strategic, boxer-puncher that simply wears down his opponents.  He won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night on Mexico Independence Day, and retained his World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association Super Middleweight world championships at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.   The judges scored the fight, 117-110 and 118-109 twice.  Alvarez is 62-2-2 and Berlanga is 22-1. 

Berlanga 27, won his first 16 fights with first round knock outs.  His first 16 fights lasted around 85 -seconds on average.  He hails from Brooklyn, NY and is of Puerto Rico descent.  This was pitted as -Mexico vs Puerto Rico.  There was bad blood between these men leading up to the fight, but after the final bell rang, Canelo leaped into Berlanga’s arms with a big hug. 

There was no slow, feeling out part of this fight.  Canelo 34 was up close to Berlanga in the first minute of the fight.  Obviously bothered by Berlanga’s prediction of a 6-round knockout.  Canelo seemed to be saying how dare you make a knockout prediction on me.    The shorter Alvarez made his jab work, although he was punching upward.  He waited to start landing his devastating body shots until rounds 2 and 3. “I did good,” says Canelo.  “They said I fight older fighters.  Tonight, I fight a young fighter, now what are they going to say?  I am the best fighter in the world.”  Canelo is a genuine superstar in the sport.  He doesn’t seem to slow down after over 60 professional fights.  “It’s an honor to represent my country.”  Asked how he keeps going at 34, he says, “My talent works, my intelligence works.  If you have talent and don’t work or you work and have no intelligence, you have nothing.”  The world wants to see Bud Crawford vs Canelo.  They are obviously the two greatest fighters of this time.  There was early talk, but those talks fell through. 

Edgar Berlanga really had nothing to lose in the fight.  No one thought he could win.  He made the most money he has ever earned and by going the distance with Canelo, he will attract other good fights.  “I fought good, but I am upset I lost, but I fought a legend tonight.  I told him he is my idol.  I looked up to him since I was a kid,” says Berlanga.  With the stature that Canelo has in the sport of boxing, he can choose which fighter he wants to fight, and the other fighters can’t do a thing about it. 

• Photo Credit:  Ray Del Rio

The Thought Brothers (Bill, Carlos and C.J.) talk sports with veteran sports writer and reporter Ronald Harris.

Ron Harris is a retired college administrator, coach, broadcaster, Internet and TV sports producer and host.  He’s also a former radio host of a live call-in show.  Ron has been a mainstay of the Washington DC area sports landscape for decades covering all the major professional sports, college sports, boxing and more.