Canelo Alvarez is taking a lot of criticism online from fans reacting to the jarring news that he plans on defending his unified super middleweight championship against Edgar Berlanga on September 14th in a cross-platform fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Fans aren’t interested in paying to see Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) defend against Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), a fighter with no wins over credible opposition on his eight-year pro resume.
Berlanga’s Inflated Record Under Scrutiny
Some fans believe that Berlanga’s previous promoters at Top Rank purposefully matched him against dreadful sub-level competition to help him build a knockout record and market him to the New York public.
Berlanga knocked out his first 16 opponents in the first round, but his opponents were horrid. If the 27-year-old New Yorker had beaten at least one good opponent, like Caleb Plant, fans wouldn’t have such a gripe about Canelo choosing him as his next sacrificial lamb on September 14th.
The matchup is perceived as another cherry pick for the 34-year-old Canelo after his last three contests being Mismatches against these random picks:
- Jaime Munguia: 100% inflated career resume
- Jermell Charlo: 154-pounder moving up two weight divisions
- John Ryder: British domestic-level scrub
It’s pretty obvious to fans now that Canelo will continue to face this level of opposition for the remainder of his career. Fighting these lesser guys can help artificially prolong the Mexican star’s career.
Fans are going to be furious if the price tag for the Canelo vs. Berlanga flight is in the $80+ range on September 14th. That type of fight should be heavily discounted in the $60 range, which is rarely seen nowadays in PPV events but not impossible.
Dropping the price would be a noble gesture on Canelo’s part. It would show his fans that he cares about them and recognizes their anger about this pick.
Berlanga’s Path to Canelo
Padraig McCrory: 36
Jason Quigley: Knocked out in 2 rounds by Demetrius Andrade
Steve Rolls: 40-years-old
Marcelo Coceres
Roamer Alexis Angulo: 39-years-old
Demond Nicholson
Last Updated on 07/24/2024
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