Edgar Berlanga and Jermall Charlo are the two fighters who are in the running for Canelo Alvarez’s next title defense of his four super middleweight titles in September.
According to analyst Chris Mannix of DAZN, the Eddie Hearn-promoted Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), the WBA mandatory for Canelo’s title with that sanctioning body, could be the one picked.
Edgar Berlanga: Undefeated But Unproven
Although the 26-year-old Berlanga is unproven and has never faced a high-level contender in his career, he has an unbeaten record, a high ranking, and a large following in Brooklyn, New York, and Puerto Rico.
Berlanga had the chance to prove himself against WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion David Morrell but wisely chose not to fight him. The outcome would have been bad for Berlanga.
Last weekend, Berlanga was parading around the T-Mobile Arena, telling fans that he’s Canelo’s next opponent for September, and seeming very sure of himself. Berlanga is not the guy that boxing fans in the U.S want to see Canelo fight, as they view the textbook version of a hype job, a fighter with a resume totally built on wins over second-tier opposition.
Canelo doesn’t have anyone else to fight at 168 due to his not being interested in taking serious challenges against David Benavidez or David Morrell.
The super middleweight division is empty of talented fighters now that Benavidez and Morrell have given up on trying to get a fight against Canelo, which leaves Edgar Berlanga and Charlo as the only real options.
Jermall Charlo: Inactivity a Concern
Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) has been too inactive in the last three years for him to be a viable option for Canelo to fight. In the 34-year-old Jermall’s comeback fight last November, he labored to an unimpressive 10-round unanimous decision over former welterweight contender Jose Benavidez Jr.
“I think the most likely opponents for Canelo in September are Edgar Berlanga, who was in Las Vegas, basically telling everyone with a microphone that he was getting that fight next, and Jermall Charlo, a PBC-connected fighter who has told people in interviews that he believes he’s getting that fight next,” said analyst Chris Mannix on his YouTube channel.
“Boxing fans are not going to get super excited about either one of them. Berlanga is undefeated but like [Jaime] Munguia, untested. His last win was probably his best against Padraig McCory, but he’s nowhere near Canelo’s level.
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