Canelo Alvarez stays boxing’s greatest field workplace draw, however Saturday’s return to the ring to face Edgar Berlanga hasn’t generated the kind of buzz that makes for a real “mega-fight.” A lot of the speak across the bout is about what Canelo might be doing in 2025 and past.
The 34-year-old Mexican famous person might be defending three tremendous middleweight titles towards the unbeaten Berlanga (22-0, 17 KO), a 27-year-old Puerto Rican New Yorker who was chosen as this weekend’s opponent due to the historic rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican fighters.
The fierceness of that rivalry has light lately, however it alone makes Berlanga a extra marketable choice than anybody else Canelo was probably going to face on this date.
Coming into 2024, David Benavidez was the most-desired Canelo foe, however he’s now campaigning as a light-weight heavyweight and appears to have thrown the towel in on the thought of going through Canelo. With Benavidez gone, and Jaime Munguia defeated in Could, Alvarez had little or no by means of choices with title recognition.
Berlanga, not less than, acquired a heavy push from ESPN and High Rank when he began his profession with 16 straight first-round stoppage victories. That chain was yanked arduous on that hype, although, when Berlanga confronted sturdier opposition and began going to unimpressive choice wins. It didn’t take lengthy for High Rank and Berlanga to half methods, at which level the younger fighter signed with Matchroom, angling to land the Canelo cash match.
He’s bought it, however few are giving him any probability to win. Although Canelo is actually previous his highest days, he’s nonetheless a correct world-class fighter, and the sensation is that Berlanga merely will not be on his degree.
What, then, would come subsequent for Canelo in 2025, if and when he dispatches of the Berlanga problem within the style anticipated? That’s probably not sufficient time for anybody at tremendous middleweight presently to develop into any larger of a business attraction, and middleweight has been a weak division for a while now, with no clear candidates to stand up in weight and problem Alvarez.
Canelo has additionally been fairly clear in negotiations with Turki Alalshikh that he’s not among the many sport’s mass of fighters and promoters racing one another to work on the Saudi promoter’s phrases. Alalshikh had tried to place collectively a giant cash struggle between Canelo and Terence Crawford, a star fighter and pound-for-pound standout who has had only one struggle over 147 kilos in his profession, and that was at 154, which remains to be two weight courses south of Canelo.
At tremendous middleweight, you’d be taking a look at undefeated Christian Mbilli, a 29-year-old Cameroonian-French fighter whose professional profession has been based mostly in Quebec, or probably Matchroom’s Diego Pacheco, who at 23 in all probability shouldn’t be rushed into preventing somebody like Canelo, which might derail his development as a fighter.
Canelo might additionally transfer up in weight. He’s fought at gentle heavyweight a pair instances, however the darkish horse choice right here could be a transfer to cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound restrict. He flirted with the thought a couple of years in the past, and the winner of a November struggle between titleholders Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith might doubtlessly intrigue him, particularly if the cash’s there.
Canelo will stay one among boxing’s greatest sights for the foreseeable future, however the time to see him within the ring is rising restricted, as are the enticing in-ring choices. Issues can change pretty quick, although, so by the point the calendar turns over to 2025, and we’re taking a look at Canelo’s doubtless subsequent date in Could, there’s a probability an actual candidate will emerge.
