One of the faces of boxing returns to action on Sept. 14 when Saul “Canelo” Alvarez takes on Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas. Alvarez will defend the WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight titles in the bout, with Berlanga as the WBA mandatory challenger.
While Alvarez fights remain major events, this is yet another fight that is seen by many as something of a disappointment after Alvarez failed to defend his belts against the top two challengers in the division, David Benavidez and David Morrell. When Benavidez and Morrell jumped up to light heavyweight after feeling their shot wound never come, Alvarez took on Jaime Munguia in May and now faces Berlanga, who inexplicably shot up the rankings to a mandatory title spot after Morrell left the division, seemingly in part because Alvarez and his team desired the fight.
Alvarez was the reigning undisputed champion at 168 pounds before being stripped of the IBF title after failing to uphold his obligation to face their mandatory challenger. He now faces a man in Berlanga who started his career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts. While still undefeated, Berlanga has only scored one knockout in his five most recent fights.
The undercard features some familiar names, including former world champions Erislandy Lara, Danny Garcia, Caleb Plant, Rolando Romero and Stephen Fulton.
Alvarez vs. Berlanga fight card, odds
- Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (c) -1600 vs. Edgar Berlanga +950, WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight titles
- Erislandy Lara -235 vs. Danny Garcia +180, middleweights
- Caleb Plant -1400 vs. Trevor McCumby +700, super middleweights
- Rolando Romero -240 vs. Manuel Jaimes +190, junior welterweights
- Stephen Fulton -800 vs. Carlos Castro +500, featherweights
Viewing information
- Date: Sept. 14
- Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- How to watch: Prime PPV (price TBA)
