Berlanga’s Strategy: Scorched Earth Against Canelo

Edgar Berlanga has made it clear that he plans on starting fast against the superstar Canelo Alvarez, looking to destroy him within six rounds to capture his three super middleweight titles on September 14th.

Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has predicted a six-round knockout Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs), and he doesn’t look like he’s kidding around. He wants to dethrone Canelo in their headliner on DAZN PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This is a fight where the New Yorker Berlanga is ready to risk it all and go out on his shield if necessary to win.

This opportunity won’t come around again for Berlanga, so he must take a scorched early approach to win and not allow Canelo to rest during any moments in the fight. A fast pace has always been Canelo’s kryptonite, and that’s Berlanga’s specialty.

Berlanga’s All-or-Nothing Approach

“He’s burned the bridge behind him. He’s got to go all in—scorched earth. I’ve burned everything behind me; I’ve got to go forward. ‘I’m the bad guy now,’ that’s Berlanga’s stance,” said Chris Algieri to the Probox TV YouTube channel about Edgar Berlanga, who has predicted a sixth-round knockout of Canelo Alvarez on September 14th.

“What if Berlanga is talking himself into being that guy? Maybe he’s not that guy right now. He’s never had to be that guy. He’s developing. He may be turning into that guy. He may trick himself. Delusion is a beautiful thing, especially when it works and turns out to be true,” said Algieri.

It’s not a case of Berlanga talking himself into being aggressive. He knows what is at stake in this fight, so he will give it his all because if he wins, he will make so much money, and his will change from that moment on. His team has obviously scouted Canelo well, and they know what will work for him. Starting slow is not an option against Canelo because he’s at his best in the first six rounds and will destroy Berlanga if he fights cautiously.

“That’s why he says that if he wins, he’s going to go back to Puerto Rico, and he’s going to be a King. He’s right, but you’ve got to go out there and do it. I think Berlanga, with his size, his youth, and his ability to start fast in fights. He has 16 first-round KOs. Canelo starts slow, and he’s throwing less and less punches the older he gets,” said Algieri.

Canelo’s Kryptonite: The Fast Pace

To get away with fighting aggressively early, Berlanga will need to withstand some big shots from Canelo, which won’t be easy. Even Gennadiy Golovkin was hesitant to go all out in his three fights with Canelo, knowing he could get clipped. Berlanga has not shown the greatest chin during his brief career, but perhaps the excitement of the moment will enable him to walk through fire early on September 14th.

“There’s going to be opportunities early on if Berlanga fights without fear and he goes right after Canelo and has the idea, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose here,’ we may have some interesting moments early on.

“The fight could be way more entertaining than people think. I don’t think Edgar is going out there to lay down. I think he’s going to actually fight and go out on his shield like he’s saying, and we know how Canelo is going to respond. This is going to be a more interesting fight than maybe people are saying,” said Algieri.

Berlanga has decided that he will go all out, looking to knock out Canelo early in the contest because he knows that’s his best chance. It may be too late if the fast starter, Berlanga, waits until the fight’s second half to start putting it on Canelo. Canelo will have figured him out and taken him out with something big.