Exclusive: Edgar Berlanga gets 100% real about Canelo Alvarez's Saudi Arabia deal and potential Terence Crawford fight
Edgar Berlanga recently shared his thoughts on Canelo Alvarez signing a four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season. Berlanga heaped praise on Alvarez for being a "genius" athlete and lauded the Mexican boxing icon for outlining a "blueprint" for budding pugilists.
Earlier this year, Turki Alalshikh revealed that Alvarez had signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season with an undisputed super middleweight title fight against William Scull in May. If Alvarez gets past Scull, the Mexican legend could potentially secure a blockbuster fight against Terence Crawford later this year.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Berlanga shared his thoughts on Alvarez's new deal and said:
"He's a genius, bro, and I got nothing but respect for Canelo. He's a legend. We know he's the top dog, and he could do whatever he wants to do right now... He put in that work, and he made his name, and he's going down as one of the greatest Mexican fighters in the world... He definitely set up a blueprint for us."
Berlanga then shared his opinion on a potential Alvarez vs. Crawford fight and gave his preview. He said:
"There's levels, you know what I'm saying? Crawford is undisputed, he's a great fighter. Canelo is a great fighter, but I just feel like there's weight classes for a reason. It's going to be tough... It's different when you step in there with Canelo, he's the stronger fighter... Crawford's not gonna knock that guy out. I don't see him doing any of that to him. He's just a big guy."
Catch Edgar Berlanga's comments below (4:33):
Dmitry Bivol shares his thoughts on a potential Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight
Undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol recently shared his take on a potential Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford clash. While many believe Alvarez's size is a significant advantage against Crawford, Bivol thinks 'Bud' could get the job done if he adapts to 168 pounds.
Speaking on The Ring podcast, Bivol pondered on all the factors that could help Crawford against Alvarez and said:
"My first reaction, of course, was about the size of Crawford. Is it okay for him to move up two weight classes or not? But then I saw him in Dubai maybe a month ago. I thought, ‘He’s big.’ He has very good skills. He’s one of my favorite boxers. He’s able to win this fight. But there are a lot of small things which we don't know."
Bivol continued:
"He needs to get used to the power and pressure of 168 [pounds] because it’s a big difference, to be honest. Maybe he will get used to it and how he’ll be feeling. But he’s able. He has good skills. He's awkward and can use both hands. It gives him benefits."
Catch Dmitry Bivol's comments below (2:30):