During the final press conference today, Canelo Alvarez explained the rationale behind selecting Edgar Berlanga as his opponent for the upcoming September 14th showdown. Canelo aimed to reignite the historic “Mexico vs. Puerto Rico” rivalry by opting to face Berlanga, an American fighter with Puerto Rican heritage. Despite potential fan preferences for David Benavidez as his rival, Alvarez believed that Berlanga was the perfect choice to defend his unified super middleweight titles at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day.
Alvarez shared his thoughts on the bout, mentioning, “I’ve faced everyone in the ring already. While on vacation, Eddy [Reynoso] approached me about this fight. I told him, ‘I’m open to it. I’ve fought everyone.’ I believe it’s a compelling matchup for the fans. The Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry holds significant historical value, and I see this as an excellent fight.” Despite Berlanga not hailing from Puerto Rico, Canelo considers him Puerto Rican for the purposes of this matchup.
Berlanga shed light on his decision-making process, saying, “There were negotiations initially to ensure that the terms made sense. When I was here in May during Canelo’s fight against Munguia, the fans were ecstatic. They expressed their desire for me to fight in September, specifically the Mexican fans. Subsequently, during a press conference in New York with Ryder, Luis [Decubas] was present, and I emphasized the need for the fight to happen in September. Luis reached out to Eddie [Hearn], and that’s where the discussions began.”
Regarding the high expectations surrounding this significant fight, Berlanga noted, “Following Canelo’s triumph over Munguia, we intensified efforts to make this fight materialize, and we succeeded. People may speculate about my ability to go the full 12 rounds based on my career and opponents. It’s truly humbling to have my name associated with such a prominent event.”
