Edgar Berlanga refuses to give King Canelo Alvarez the respect he wants ahead of their fight this Saturday, September 14th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) wants to take the old lion’s place as the #1 fighter in the 168-lb division, and he’s not going to debase himself to show respect like Alvarez’s typical opponents.
Canelo’s Insecurity on Display?
For Canelo, 34, to expect to be praised and treated like a King by the fighters he blesses by picking them out to become millionaires shows signs of a fighter who is insecure about his position.
If Canelo believed in himself, he wouldn’t care whether his opponents showed him respect or not. Yeah, he’s transforming their lives by making them wealthy millionaires, but that doesn’t mean they have to show their gratitude by getting on their knees or taking it easy on him, as some fans believe has been the case with past Canelo opponents.
“I’m not going to give you respect because I want your spot,” said Berlanga, wanting to take Canelo’s place at the top. “You already made your place in boxing.”
Berlanga has the right attitude. In the final days before Saturday’s clash, he should show Canelo only the back of his hand.
Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) will defend his WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles against #1 WBA Berlanga on Saturday, live on DAZN PPV. The event goes for $89.99.
The Real Motivation: Protecting the Throne
“Me and my team chose Berlanga because we believe this is a great fight for the fans,” said Canelo Alvarez to the Premier Boxing Champions YouTube channel, explaining why he selected Edgar Berlanga as his opponent for his title defense on September 14th in Las Vegas.
We already know why Canelo selected Berlanga, not because he felt he would fight fans a “great fight.” This is more about Canelo cherry-picking what he believes is an easy mark, and he’s counting on being able to destroy the 27-year-old Berlanga and looking good.
Fans see through the smoke screen and realize what’s behind it. Canelo has picked Berlanga because he thinks he can easily beat him, and that’s the only reason. If he had any shred of doubts about his ability to beat Berlanga, he’d be avoided in the same way David Morrell and David Benavidez have been.
“The press conference was lit. Berlanga did a lot of talking,” said Canelo. “Also, he’s going to bring it to the fight. I know he’s coming to win. No fight is easy. I don’t want to let go of the position I have. I’ve fought to get to the position I’m in, and so he has a major obstacle to overcome.”
Canelo’s resume is littered with controversial decisions, and if you talk all those fights away, he’d be close to journeyman status. He should have at least eight losses instead of just two, but obviously, it helps to be popular.
“I know he’s a strong fighter. That’s what I’m preparing for,” Canelo said about Berlanga. “I’m going to finish him by knockout. I don’t know, but no more than eight.”
If Canelo tries to knock out Berlanga, he could be sorry for it later because he will go straight into this hungry lion’s teeth, which’ll play in his favor.
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