Canelo Vs. Berlanga: New ‘Tamaulipas II’ Belt Adds To Boxing’s Belt Overload

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has created a new special commemorative ‘Tamaulipas II’ belt to be handed out to the September 14th winner of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight. It’s unclear what impact the belt will have on the winner.

Another Belt in an Already Saturated Market

Fans view the WBC using the belt to get publicity, as they will likely be seen handing it to the winner afterward, Canelo. There are too many belts, and creating a new one, even a commemorative strap, only confuses casual fans even more than they already are.

The divisions are watered down with belts; one organization should control the titles. Sanctioning bodies need to be phased out for major boxing competitions on the world level.

Unified super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) doesn’t have another belt, especially a trinket like the WBC’s commemorative job. Canelo, 34, is too polite to turn down the Tamaulipas II belt when handed to him after the fight, but it would be interesting to watch him say no to it.

Questionable Matchmaking and High PPV Price

Canelo should have chosen a better opponent for his September 14th card and waited until Berlanga proved himself against someone good like Christian Mbilli or Olseys Iglesias.

With the news that came out today about His Excellency Turki Alalshikh planning on lowering the prices for his Riyadh Season events, Canelo-Berlanga stands out negatively due to the high cost of this $90 PPV event on Saturday, the 14th, on DAZN PPV. It’s expensive for what many believe will be a mismatch in favor of Canelo.

Berlanga has been fighting lower-level opposition his entire eight-year career to build his 22-0 record, and it is getting a title shot without fighting any noteworthy opposition.

The undercard for Canelo vs. Berlanga slanted toward older boxing fans who remember fighters like Danny Garcia and Erislandy Lara when they were in their time ten years ago. There’s not much on the undercard to justify the high price of the PPV event.

Great Presentation of the Magnificent WBC Tamaulipas II Commemorative Belt.https://t.co/YVEBVOLmGi pic.twitter.com/BFKz3kKChP

— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) September 2, 2024