The main event of the card organized by Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ended with a clear points victory for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) over challenger Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga (22-1-0, 17 KOs). The Mexican superstar successfully defended his WBC, WBA, and WBO super middleweight world titles, reaffirming his status as the undisputed number one in the division. The official judges’ scorecards were: 117-110 and two 118-109.
As expected, the fight began cautiously on both sides. Neither boxer was willing to take an early risk, and the only notable shot of the first round was a right uppercut to the body landed by Canelo.
From the second round onwards, the fight came to life, and the difference in precision, which would characterize the entire contest, quickly became evident. While the champion landed most of his punches, the challenger only found success with his jab, lacking the coordination and execution speed necessary to make his two-handed combinations effective.
Berlanga’s initial confidence quickly faded when a beautiful left hook from Alvarez caught him off guard in the third round, sending him to the canvas. The Puerto Rican promptly got back up and remained clear-headed enough to absorb the subsequent barrage of punches from his rival, but from that point on, much of his early determination was lost.
The pace of the fight then settled into a relatively low tempo, with Canelo doing just enough to win the rounds, occasionally stepping on the gas, while Berlanga mostly backpedaled, throwing defensive jabs and attempting timid counterattacks only when he felt safe from retaliation.
The champion only ramped up his offense when the challenger angered him with some fouls. This happened in the fifth round after both fighters exchanged low blows during a clinch and again in the eighth round when Berlanga intentionally headbutted him. On both occasions, Canelo pinned his opponent against the ropes, punishing him with a flurry of punches.
Berlanga finally abandoned his extremely cautious approach in the tenth round, trying to contest the center of the ring, but with limited success. The only real moment of danger came when Canelo mistook the ten-second warning for the bell, lowering his guard and taking a left hook to the head.
Canelo appeared to lose some precision and effectiveness in the last two rounds, but the challenger, also fatigued, was unable to capitalize, lacking the energy to mount a desperate final assault. The fight ended without any major surprises, as both boxers dropped their guard after the final bell, embracing and exchanging compliments.
For some strange reason, American judges seem terrified of awarding all the rounds to the same fighter, even when it seems the fairest thing to do. As a result, the defeated boxer was again gifted a few points, receiving narrower margins than he deserved. This writer had a clean 120-107 scorecard and struggles to understand how any rounds could be given to Edgar Berlanga in this fight.
Despite the overwhelming victory, Saul Alvarez’s performance confirmed the suspicions of those who see him in a slight decline. The Mexican no longer seems to be the same fighter who, a few years ago, relentlessly chased the towering Callum Smith around the ring. Today, Canelo conserves his energy meticulously, minimizes risks, and no longer appears able to sustain an extended offensive attack.
His ambition to challenge the winner of the stellar light heavyweight unification bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is undoubtedly commendable in terms of courage, but it could lead Canelo toward a disastrous defeat. The flaws that led to his loss against Bivol two years ago seem even more pronounced today, and it is hard to imagine the Mexican champion achieving such a historic feat in a division that isn’t his, despite his still evident technical brilliance.
As for Edgar Berlanga, he exceeded the expectations of most experts. The Puerto Rican, who many expected to lose before the final bell, never seriously risked a knockout, not even after the third-round knockdown. However, it felt as though from that point on, “The Chosen One” no longer believed he could win and, aside from a few late outbursts, settled for damage control. Nonetheless, his stock will likely rise after this loss. Time will tell if he can learn from it and show significant improvements in the future.