Now that the fight is just around the corner, the debate is only getting heated up. Will Edgar Berlanga pull off the unthinkable? He is after all facing one of the faces of boxing. Standing opposite Canelo Alvarez is one thing, let alone knocking him down. The duo meet at the T-Mobile on Saturday night. The headliner for Alvarez’s unified titles will feature other high-profile bouts as well. However, all eyes are fixated on the much anticipated Alvarez-Berlanga square-off.

The very fact that this fight is happening has been part of a broader conversation in the boxing world. The announcement came while Canelo made his stand clear on the potential clash with WBC mandatory David Benavidez. The discussion of the Terence Crawford fight always hovered in the background. Then news about honoring the IBF’s mandatory challenge came. But over and above all these narratives, the fight was finally set with Edgar Berlanga. The Brooklyn-born super middleweight remains unbeaten. But is that sufficient to take on a boxer of Alvarez’s caliber? A few expert opinions are in place for review.

“Will @Canelo secure pro win number 62 next weekend, or can @EdgarBerlangaJr shock the world?” Read the tweet from @Boxing News+. The post featured an abridged version of the ‘Industry Prediction’, which the channel uploaded on YouTube. The nearly half-minute-long clip begins with Robert Garcia.

Handing over a clean sweep for Canelo Alvarez, the award-winning trainer said, “Canelo’s too smart. I think Canelo starts breaking him down. I think Canelo should win by knockout.” On expected grounds, Eddie Hearn believes that Berlanga might as well accomplish what Jaime Munguia couldn’t do. He said, “Edgar’s a good fighter; he’s undefeated; he punches very hard; and he’ll come to fight.”

P4P Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez also believes that surprise might be in store for fans and viewers when they see Edgar Berlanga present a tough challenge to Canelo Alvarez. Like Hearn, he too expressed confidence in his Matchroom stablemate that the Brooklyn-born super middleweight of Puerto Rican origin will put in a strong, competitive performance.

Paul Smith Jr. does seem to entertain such thoughts. According to the former British super middleweight champion, Berlanga has yet to reach the level where Alvarez stands today. According to the three-time world title challenger, Alvarez is way ‘too smart’. Given Berlanga’s fighting style comes off as ‘too predictable,’ the Mexican superstar would easily anticipate his moves. ‘The Real Gone Kid’ concluded that Edgar Berlanga perhaps lacks the high-level experience needed to compete with someone like Canelo Alvarez.

Though he accepted Berlanga as a proficient practitioner of the sport, even Teddy Atlas finds it a bit unconvincing that ‘The Chosen One’ is prepared to face a daunting challenge that Canelo Alvarez presents. Former pro-boxer and now leading trainer David Coldwell felt it would be one of the most stunning outcomes of Edgar Berlanga managing to inflict a third career loss on Canelo Alvarez.

Edgar Berlanga: Can the underdog defy the odds?

Thus, an overwhelming narrative seems already settled on a Canelo Alvarez win. However, a few still believe Edgar Berlanga shouldn’t be written off entirely. ‘The Chosen One’ enters the rings with a strong knockout reputation. His 16 consecutive early stoppages major significant attention on Berlanga. But then the bigger question is: will his aggressive approach break the defensive wall of Alvarez? Then what about close-quarter exchanges? Every boxing fan knows how the Mexican icon excels in that department, especially the way he pummels his opponents with his body shots and the devastating left hook.

Also, Berlanga has been dropped in the past. Remember the Marcelo Esteban Coceres fight? It would be reasonable to conclude fans are going to witness an exciting clash of dissimilar styles. Given the chance of a lifetime that he has received, Berlanga is unlikely to let the fight slip away easily. On September 14, fans can expect him to give it his all.

Where do you stand in terms of assessing Edgar Berlanga’s chances against Canelo Alvarez?