Is Edgar Berlanga Next For Canelo?
With negotiations reaching an impasse for a Dmitry Bivol rematch and Badou Jack removing himself from consideration over weight, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s list of potential opponents has gotten smaller.
There has been talk recently of Canelo facing WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo recently.
However, it appears Charlo and Demetrius Andrade have instead agreed to fight each other in September, which rules them out as well. And, Big Fight Weekend’s Dan Rafael reports that negotiations are taking place for a fight between David Benavidez and David Morrell for October or November.
With all these fighters either busy with fights of their own or unable to reach an agreement to face Canelo, the focus now turns towards other possible opponents. On June 24, Edgar Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) will make his case when he takes on Jason Quigley (20-2, 14 KOs) in his first fight of 2023.
Hear Rafael and T.J. Rives discuss potential Canelo opponents for September and how Berlanga might be that guy by clicking play on the latest “Fight Freaks Unite Recap” podcast,
Berlanga rose to prominence thanks to a 16 fight streak in which he won every bout by first round stoppage. However, he has not had a knock out victory since December 2020 when he beat Ulises Sierra. Since then, all four of his fights have gone the distance. When Berlanga steps into the ring to face Quigley, it will be his first time doing so since a unanimous decision victory over Roamer Angulo. Part of the reason why Berlanga has been out of the ring is due to a six month suspension.
He received the punishment after biting Angulo in the seventh round. Since the Angulo clash, Berlanga also ended his contract with Top Rank Boxing and signed his deal with Matchroom Boxing. The Quigley fight will be the first bout of this pairing.
Future Canelo Showdown?
As early as 2020, Berlanga had discussed potentially facing Canelo. That could soon become a reality should Canelo be unable to find a suitable opponent. While it may not be the bout most fans are clamouring for, the second half of 2023 can still be an interesting time for the super middleweight division, especially if the bouts mentioned above were to take place. Fight fans will just have to sit tight as things should become clearer in the coming weeks.
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
