The face of boxing returns to the ring for Mexican Independence weekend as Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez defends his crown as the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world against the undefeated stud Edgar Berlanga.
The two technicians will go toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring at 168-pounds in order to prove who the best in the world is, with Canelo keen to prove he is still the man to beat in the sport while Berlanga looks to usher in a new era.
We'll take a look at the match-up between the two world-class boxers and see if we can earn you some extra cash while you watch the action with our best free boxing betting picks.
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Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Edgar Berlanga information
- Saturday, September 14th 2024
- T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Super Middleweight division (168 pounds)
- 3 x 12 minute rounds
- Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Edgar Berlaga odds
- Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez - (-1500)
- Edgar Berlanga - (+850)
This fight is sure to be an exciting one, with many people considering this to be an easier fight for Canelo than in recent bouts against Jermell Charlo and Jaime Munguia.
The Mexican has won his last four fights on the bounce via unanimous decision, dominating against both Gennady Golovkin and then John Ryder prior to those aforementioned bouts, while he suffered a decision defeat to Dmitry Bivol when he tried to move up to light heavyweight in his previous outing before those bouts.
Prior to that he was on an eight-fight win streak including knockout wins over Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders and Avni Yildirim, and he wants to silence critics who say he may be losing his power as he goes up the weight classes.
Canelo's professional record now stands at 61-2-2 with 39 knockouts and he has opened as the favorite, coming in with a price of -1500 meaning you have to bet $1500 to get a return of $100.
He'll be standing across the ring from the talented 22-0 American fighter Edgar Berlanga, who wants to become a world champion for the first time in his career. He comes into the fight with 17 knockouts in his career, but recent performances haven't been that spectacular.
Berlanga won the NABO super middleweight title back in October 2021 when he defeated Marcelo Esteban Coceres via unanimous decision, and he has since defended that crown three times with unanimous decision wins over Steve Rolls, Roamer Alexis Angulo and Jason Quigley.
The win over Quigley was the first 12-round fight of his career, and he followed it up with a sixth-round knockout win over Padraig McCrory last time out to set up this fight against Canelo
He comes into this bout as a huge underdog with +850 odds, meaning you can win $850 for every $100 bet you make if he succeeds in a major upset.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Edgar Berlaga preview
Unless he bribes the judges, Berlanga won't win a decision.
Unfortunately, Berlanga hesitates with his punches, limiting the effectiveness of his genuine power. He might get all hyped up and come out firing, but the challenger won't bring anything Canelo hasn't seen before.
On the other hand, the champion is one of the most meticulous fighters the sport has ever seen and will come into this fight this weekend looking to make a statement to the world that he is still the man to beat.
Alvarez's body work is a joy to behold, while he is capable of fighting off the back-foot or pressuring his opponent to go backwards and launch a flurry of combinations to land damage. His footwork is immaculate and his power is capable of putting any fighter down.
Berlanga knows that his best chance of winning this fight is to be aggressive and catch Canelo with something he doesn't see coming, but he can't be reckless or he'll be in danger. He'll also need to ensure that he doesn't run out of steam in the latter rounds, so using his jab and reach advantage could be a way to do that, but it won't be easy.
Boxing picks: Canelo Alvarez to dominate
This is most definitely Canelo Alvarez's fight to lose, because he is the more powerful fighter and also better technically.
But the method of the victory is open to debate because Canelo hasn't knocked anyone out in over three years, but Berlanga has only ever gone past eight rounds once in his entire career.
If the challenger decides to go to war with Canelo in the centre of the ring then there is every chance he gets knocked out, and nobody would be surprised whatsoever. But the champion hasn't been stopping fights early in a little while, with each of his last five fights going the distance.
The value in a decision looks good, but with Berlanga often fading in latter rounds and the fact that he'll be behind on the scorecards once he gets there, it could open up a finish for Canelo. Back him to get the finish in the second half of the fight at +110 and enjoy a masterclass from the champion to retain his belts.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
