Saul “Canelo” Alvarez retained his unified super middleweight world title by defeating Edgar Berlanga in a punishing unanimous decision in Las Vegas. Alvarez knocked down Berlanga in the third round and dominated the fight, landing powerful blows round after round. Despite Berlanga’s defiance and taunts, he could not find the stoppage he had predicted. Alvarez was awarded the fight by two judges with a score of 118-109 and by 117-110 from the third, asserting his dominance as the best fighter in the world.
The vastly experienced Alvarez initially put pressure on Berlanga, who looked tentative in the opening rounds. A devastating left hook from Alvarez in the third round sent Berlanga to the canvas, and he struggled to recover throughout the fight. Alvarez continued to attack with debilitating body blows, proving his skill and agility. This victory marked Alvarez’s fifth straight points victory, with his last knockout win against Caleb Plant in November 2021. Despite accusations of ducking rising star David Benavidez, Alvarez remains confident in his abilities and plans to rest with his family before deciding his next move.
Alvarez’s victory was significant on Mexican Independence Day weekend, a holiday he has made his own alongside Cinco de Mayo. Despite being stripped of his IBF belt in July for not facing mandatory challenger William Scull, Alvarez’s win against Berlanga further solidified his status as the undisputed super middleweight champion. The fight took place in front of a passionate crowd of over 20,000 at the T-Mobile Arena, adding to the excitement of the event. Berlanga, who suffered his first defeat, showed respect to Alvarez after the fight, acknowledging him as his idol and a fighter he looked up to since childhood.
On the undercard, Erislandy Lara retained his WBA middleweight world title with a ninth-round stoppage of Danny Garcia. The slow pace of the bout drew boos from the crowd, but Lara’s straight left that dropped Garcia to a knee ultimately led to his victory. At 41 years old, Lara continues to showcase his skills in the ring, improving his record to 31-3-3 with 19 knockouts. Garcia, fighting for the first time since July 2022, fell to 37-4 with 21 wins inside the distance. Despite the criticisms of the fight’s pacing, Lara’s dominance and technical prowess were evident, solidifying his status as a formidable contender in the middleweight division.
