Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will face Edgar Berlanga on September 14 in Las Vegas. The Mexican superstar made the announcement for his second fight of the year, following a points win over Jaime Munguia.
Canelo's unified super-middleweight titles will be on the line, though he's been stripped of the IBF belt. The fight continues the storied Mexico-Puerto Rico boxing rivalry, with the unbeaten Berlanga vowing to pull off an upset.
Berlanga's bold claim has caught attention, but he'll face a tough task against the experienced champion.
The announcement puts to rest speculation about other potential opponents. David Benavidez, who had long pursued a fight with Canelo, has moved up to light-heavyweight. Terence Crawford, fresh off a victory over Israil Madrimov for the WBA Super-Welterweight World Title, had also been in the conversation.
Crawford's hard-fought twelve-round battle with Madrimov earned him a fourth division world title. The previously undefeated Madrimov gained fans despite the loss, showcasing his skills against the talented Crawford.
Talk of a potential Canelo-Crawford showdown has persisted, despite the two-division weight gap. Madrimov, having faced Crawford, believes it would be "very difficult" for Crawford to make the jump.
Turki Alalshikh of Riyadh Season reportedly reached out with an offer for the Canelo-Crawford fight. When asked about this, Canelo responded:
"No, I don't have any offer. Look, I'm 100% focused on this fight and then we'll see … Well, look, as I said, if the money is right, I'm willing."
For now, Canelo's focus remains on Berlanga and their September clash in Las Vegas. The boxing world will watch with interest to see if Berlanga can live up to his promise of an upset, or if Canelo will continue his dominant run at super-middleweight.
