WBC, WBO, IBF, and WBA Super Middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez will defend his titles against unbeaten challenger Edgar Berlanga. The 12-round championship encounter will take place on Saturday, September 14, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Alvarez (61-2-2) is riding a four-fight winning streak and successfully defended his belts in May with a unanimous decision victory against Jaime Munguia. The legendary Mexican fighter has lost just one fight since 2014 and will seek his first knockout win in nearly three years.
Berlanga (22-0-0) stopped Padraig McCrory with a TKO in the sixth round earlier this year. The American opened his career with first-round knockouts in his first 16 matchups but has gone the distance in five of his previous six fights.
WBA Middleweight title holder Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara (30-3-0) will put his belt on the line against former champion Danny "Swift" García (37-3-0) in the co-main event.
Alvarez (-2000) is a massive favorite to defeat Berlanga (+750), per BetMGM sportsbook. The champion should have little trouble disposing of the overmatched challenger, who will be looking to use his powerful strikes to pull off the huge upset.
Alvarez is an elite counterpuncher who is extremely knowledgeable in the ring. The Mexican superstar is a fighter who likes working his jab, knows how to feint, and how to use the ropes to his advantage. Alvarez also understands when to step forward and when to retreat, making him a smart choice if you plan to bet on boxing this weekend.
The 34-year-old has a unique boxing style that is both effective and entertaining in the ring. "Cinnamon" possesses solid footwork and impressive defensive skills, including an active guard and head movement. Alvarez has tallied 39 career knockouts, but just two of his previous 11 fights have not reached the 11th round.
Berlanga is a legitimate knockout artist with 17 KO's in 22 fights. The American with Puerto Rican roots relies on an aggressive style and powerful strikes to overwhelm opposing fighters. However, he has yet to step into the ring against an all-time great like Alvarez.
The hard-hitting Boricua is a brash, confident fighter who is excited about the opportunity to fight the legendary Mexican titleholder.
"It feels good man," Berlanga said when asked how he feels about stepping into the ring with Alvarez. "I'm just living my dream of what we've been doing for the past 20 years. We got to the pinnacle of boxing. It's about defeating Goliath now and taking his spot and becoming the new superstar of boxing."
The Brooklyn native also believes that Canelo's time as a dominating champion has run its course.
"He already did his time. For me, his time is done. I think he's already going out that door where he has his millions of dollars. He doesn't have nothing to prove no more in the sport of boxing."
Former multiple world champion Roy Jones Jr. thinks fans will enjoy the fight if the challenger can take a beating from the champion for more than a few rounds.
"If he (Berlanga) can take the onslaught and return it, then we got ourselves a great fight. If he can't take the onslaught then we got ourselves a fight that's gonna be good for three rounds and it's gonna be over."
Betting Pick: Alvarez
Betting odds for this super middleweight championship fight are live on New York’s leading sportsbooks, including BetMGM and DraftKings, which has tagged Alvarez as a huge -2000 favorite. The most common bet type for this boxing matchup is the moneyline, a wager on who will win the fight outright.
Considering how Berlanga has not fought anyone with the pedigree of Alvarez, the champion should retain his title. Alvarez is our pick to win the fight and a $100 wager on the champion at odds of -2000 would net a total payout of $105. However, if you fancy Berlanga pulling off the upset, a $100 wager on the challenger at odds of +750 would net a total profit of $750.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given that Berlanga is not in the same class as Alvarez, we do not expect the fight to reach the late rounds. Thus, betting Under 10.5 rounds could be a winning pick.
The 12-round super middleweight championship fight will take place on Saturday, September 14, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boxing fans in New York can watch the fight live on Prime Video pay-per-view.
Unified WBC, WBA, and WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is a massive favorite to retain his titles against undefeated challenger Edgar Berlanga. Alvarez is a -2000 betting favorite to retain his belts against Berlanga, a +750 underdog.
WBA Middleweight titleholder Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara (30-3-0) will put his title on the line against former champion Danny "Swift" García (37-3-0) in the co-main event. Other fights on the undercard include former super middleweight champion Caleb Plant (22-2-0) butting heads with Trevor McCumby (28-0-0) for the interim WBA super middleweight belt, former 140-pound world champion Rolando "Rolly" Romero (15-2-0) will square off against Manuel Jaimes (16-1-1), and Stephen Fulton (21-1-0) will tangle with Carlos Castro (30-2-0) in a featherweight matchup.
Live betting is available for boxing during the fight, however, you can only place bets between rounds when the in-play betting odds are updated. Moneyline wagers representing the odds for who will win the fight outright are the most popular type of betting for boxing. Other live betting types include "three-way" moneyline wagers and prop bets such as the method of victory, total rounds (how long a fight will last), points betting, and parlays.
Boxing fans can place various bets on this WBO world minimumweight title fight at BetMGM, a well-known and trusted sportsbook in New York.
