Edgar Berlanga previews Canelo Alvarez fight, vows to push Mexican superstar to his limits: "I guarantee he's gonna feel something different"
Edgar Berlanga recently discussed his upcoming clash with Canelo Alvarez, promising to give the boxing superstar the most demanding fight of his career. 'The Chosen One' is poised to challenge Alvarez for his unified WBC, WBA, and WBO super middleweight titles on the Mexican Independence Day weekend (Sept. 14) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This fight represents the biggest moment of Berlanga's career, especially going up against a legend like Canelo. It’s only natural to assume that the 27-year-old undefeated Puerto Rican has rigorously trained to withstand the toughest battle he may encounter in the squared circle, and he exudes confidence in his preparation.
During a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, 'The Chosen One' weighed in on the strengths he anticipates Alvarez will bring to the fight. Berlanga revealed that he plans to fully leverage his reach advantage to deliver powerful shots while also mentally preparing to absorb his opponent's hardest hits and counter with his own:
"The main thing right now is that jab, you know, controlling his pace for 12 rounds, controlling him with the jab, shooting him off shots, and catching and shooting just like what [Dmitry] Bivol did. I'm the bigger guy, I'm longer, I'm stronger. He's gonna try to look for ways to break my arms down, and I've got the power to knock him out. When we land on him, he's gonna feel something different for sure—I guarantee you, he's gonna feel something different."
Check out Edgar Berlanga's comments below:
Check out the full podcast episode below:
Edgar Berlanga labels Canelo Alvarez's expletive-filled tirade at media tour "disrespectful"
During the pre-fight media tour leading up to their bout, Canelo Alvarez unleashed a barrage of provocative gestures, including mockingly spanking the air in front of Edgar Berlanga and laughing at him. Although 'The Chosen One' responded with his own choice of words at the time, he now finds those antics unmannerly.
Check out Canelo Alvarez's actions below:
In a recent interview with Boxing Scene, Berlanga acknowledged that verbal sparring is a natural part of the sport, but he found Canelo's mocking laughter especially disrespectful:
"The trash talk is a part of the sport – f**k him... I didn't like it when he smiled at me at the press conference. I felt like he was taking me as a joke. I know his intentions. I'm from the hood in New York. If you are smiling at my face, that is disrespectful."