One of boxing’s brightest stars, Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs), successfully retained his unified super middleweight championship with a dominant unanimous decision victory over the rising contender Edgar Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) last night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight’s most electrifying moment came in the third round when Canelo, known for his precision and power, unleashed a massive left hook that sent Berlanga crashing to the canvas. The crowd erupted as Berlanga, clearly shaken, struggled to his feet, narrowly beating the referee’s count. Although Berlanga showed heart and resilience by continuing through the fight, he never fully recovered from the knockdown.
From that point on, Canelo controlled the pace, demonstrating his elite boxing IQ by outmaneuvering Berlanga, landing powerful combinations, and effectively neutralizing Berlanga’s offensive attempts. Canelo’s signature body shots, combined with his head movement and counterpunching, kept Berlanga off balance for the remainder of the contest.
While Berlanga showed flashes of his potential, Canelo’s experience and ring generalship were too much for the younger fighter. The judges’ scorecards reflected the Mexican champion’s dominance, with Canelo securing a comfortable unanimous decision to extend his reign as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best.
This victory further cements Canelo’s legacy, proving once again that he remains the man to beat in the super middleweight division.
“Now what are they gonna say?” Alvarez said during his postfight interview. “I fight younger fighters. They say I fight older fighters. They always talk. I’m the best fighter in the world. … My experience, my talent, my hard work, my intelligence, everything together [makes me the best]. If you have talent but you don’t have discipline, you have nothing.”
Canelo vs Berlanga Scorecard:
Fight card, results
- Canelo Alvarez (c) def. Edgar Berlanga via unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109)
- Erislandy Lara (c) def. Danny Garcia via ninth-round TKO
- Caleb Plant def. Trevor McCumby via ninth-round knockout
- Rolando Romero def. Manuel Jaimes via unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91 99-91)
- Stephen Fulton def. Carlos Castro via split decision (94-95, 96-93, 95-94)
