LAS VEGAS – As a substantial -1600 betting favorite Saturday, Canelo Alvarez’s path to more grand arrivals like Tuesday’s for his defense of three super-middleweight belts versus Edgar Berlanga looks unimpeded.
At 34, Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) stopped to soak in another ovation inside the packed lobby of the MGM Grand Tuesday, feeling the adulation and taking pause to absorb the symbol of his longevity.
Starting with his 2012 sweep of bouts against current Hall of Famer Shane Mosley and a main event 12 years ago this Mexican Independence weekend against Josesito Lopez, Alvarez has now logged 18 grand arrivals in Las Vegas and participated in 17 main events in boxing’s capitol.
That moves Alvarez closer to surpassing those who stand in the rarefied air of Las Vegas legends, with Floyd Mayweather Jr. tallying 18 major Las Vegas main events in Las Vegas between 1998 and 2017, and Oscar De La Hoya posting 21 major main events on The Strip between 1995 and 2008.
“I feel proud … I feel proud I’m still here. I still enjoy all of this. So grateful for my fans,” Alvarez said after addressing his supporters on stage. “Every time I come, they are here supporting me.
“I love boxing. I enjoy my people, and all of this. I love what I do.”
Alvarez has lost just two of those bouts – both on occasions when he pushed himself past the threshold of an experience disadvantage (the 2013 majority decision loss as a 23-year-old to Mayweather) and size limits (when a prime light-heavyweight champion Dmitii Bivol edged Alvarez by unanimous decision).
Usually, the outcome is an occasion to celebrate – the highlight-reel knockout of Amir Khan to open boxing at T-Mobile Arena in 2016, the aggressive showing to edge bitter rival Gennadiy Golovkin on the scorecards in their 2018 rematch and the crushing 2019 knockout of then-light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.
Stopping the confident, 27-year-old Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) with a massive punch would be the best way to punctuate how he’s doing as those watching his career also have their eyes on the ticking clock.
Berlanga’s trash talk has helped further the motivation.
“I always like to respect my opponent. That’s my way to do it. But when somebody talks shit, I can do something different, too,” Alvarez said on stage. “But not just with my mouth … with my hands, too.
“He’s a good fighter. He’s strong, he’s young. But he’s nothing new for me. I’ve fought everybody – every style: bigger than me, younger than me, older than me. I know everything about boxing, so my power and experience: he’s going to feel it on Saturday night.”
While Berlanga predicted a knockout victory Saturday – he knocked out his first 16 opponents exclusively in the first round – Alvarez said he’s going to end the fight before the eighth round is complete.
“Finishing by knockout is always sweet and I’m going to do it Saturday night,” Alvarez said.
Read the full article here
