When Canelo Alvarez stepped into the ring against Jaime Munguia to defend his four 168-pound titles (WBC, WBO, IBF, and WBA) in May, there was only one promise—a Mexican slugfest. It turned out to be one, where punches flew till the last bell and the relentless action kept the fans on the edge of their seats. But there was one question on the fans’ tongue. Could the champion finish the challenger if he didn’t hold him up?

That’s what fans pointed out after the fight’s conclusion. Alvarez, 34, had reasserted his dominance in the division with his fourth successful defense of the super middleweight titles, but he also went the distance for a fourth consecutive time despite a fourth-round knockdown that left Munguia on wobbly legs. Was it the result of the age catching up to him, or was it something else? The Mexican champion revealed the reason when he drew the parallels with the coming Edgar Berlanga fight and its explosive nature.

Alvarez, at 61-2-2, admitted he didn’t go for the kill because he enjoyed fighting and pulling punches against Munguia. He wanted it to last long, and that’s why he didn’t finish the 27-year-old challenger. He told DAZN, “I love it. I enjoy it a lot. That’s why I don’t like to finish Munguia. Because I enjoy it a lot.”

The host then explained how many fans had observed how, in the final round, he kept Munguia up by holding him up. The super middleweight champion gleefully accepted that claim and added, “In every round. If I wanted to hold him up, yeah, but I really enjoy the fight. That’s why I take my time.” In that fight, a left hook followed by a right uppercut planted the challenger Munguia on the canvas for the first knockdown of his 44-fight career. However, the beginning of the fight were different.

With 17,492 spectators in presence at the T-Mobile Arena, Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) had won three rounds unanimously: the opening frame along with Rounds 3 and 9. However, his punches could never do enough damage to Alvarez. Even when Munguia pinned Alvarez on the ropes and unloaded, Alvarez escaped most of those punches and then returned a single shot that backed the challenger up.

During the knockdown in Round 4 Munguia’s legs never seemed to recover. Alvarez’s superiority in experience was clear being a first-ballot Hall of Famer who has shared the ring with almost all the top names around his weight over the years. “I’m very proud that all the Mexicans are here watching us. He’s a great fighter. He’s strong, he’s smart. … But he’s a little slow. I can see every punch. Sometimes he got me because I get so confident. … I did really good and I feel proud about it. … I’m the best fighter right now for sure,” Alvarez had said.

Alvarez stunned Munguia on several occasions, using his aggression against him. Alvarez’s superb counterpunching, more powerful punches, and ability to escape became too much to overcome for Munguia. “I came out strong and was winning the early rounds. I let my hands go, but he’s a fighter with a lot of experience. The loss hurts because it’s my first loss and I felt strong. There’s no doubt I would have beaten anyone else tonight. … He’s a fighter who creates a lot of problems,” Munguia had said after the loss. But there is one thing to count.

Alvarez thinks that the first loss of his career in 2013 as a 20-year-old to Floyd Mayweather helped build him become all-time great. The same was pointed out by Oscar De La Hoya, the Hall of Fame boxer who was co-promoting Munguia. “I’ve always said [Canelo is] a good fighter in the ring, but this experience for Jaime will just take him to another level. It’s just like Mayweather and Canelo. … Canelo got schooled and then he became the face of boxing,” De La Hoya had said. While Munguia’s future remains to be seen, at the moment Alvarez has important business to take care of.

American boxer Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), 27, poses a unique challenge to Alvarez. ‘The Chosen One’ is more explosive, has heavy-handed punches, and has a penchant for knockout. It seems Alvarez wants to beat him in his own game.

Canelo Alvarez predicts a different outcome to the Edgar Berlanga fight

At the last press conference ahead of the September 14 clash, the Guadalajara native expressed his desire to nab a knockout. He said, “It’s easy to say you’ll knock me out. But it’s much more difficult to do it. Saturday night is gonna be very difficult for him, for sure. I’ve prepared for the knockout. I love the feeling of a knockout, and I’m gonna do my best to get it done.”

Berlanga is a rising star with impressive abilities. However, his track record does not look impressive. He has been rocked, hurt, and knocked down by boxers who are less competent than Canelo. In 2021, Marcelo Caceres floored Berlanga with a left in the ninth round of a fight that Berlanga ultimately won by a unanimous decision.

Berlanga has pop on his punches, but he is still getting a hang of the complexities the topmost boxers can display. These include pacing, energy management, on-the-fly adjustments, and reading the opponents to manipulate them to do what he wants them to do.

It remains to be seen how the former undisputed champion tackles the threat of a younger and more aggressive power puncher. Berlanga will also have to deal with Alvarez’s experience and counterpunching, which could hand him the first loss of his career. It remains to be seen who comes on top of this Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown.

What do you make of these comments by Canelo Alvarez about the Jaime Munguia fight? Do you believe he will knock out Edgar Berlanga? Let us know in the comments below.