The official announcement is still pending, but according to renowned American journalist Mike Coppinger, who is usually well-informed about behind-the-scenes happenings in international boxing, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has finally chosen his next opponent. It would be the Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga, and the fight is scheduled for September 14th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, it is worth noting that the equally famous journalist Dan Rafael quickly pointed out on social media that the agreement between the two fighters has not yet been reached, although a positive conclusion to the negotiations seems likely.
As soon as the news began to circulate, there were strong protests from a significant number of fans. Berlanga made headlines a few years ago for his habit of always winning by first-round knockout, but since the level of his opponents has increased, he has raised quite a few doubts, although he remains undefeated. The Puerto Rican has great power, but his work rate is quite low, his footwork is very limited, and his versatility is very questionable. He seems tailor-made to make Alvarez look good.
We will see if the challenger can exceed expectations or if the match will turn out to be a walk in the park for Canelo as many fear and suspect.