One strategy when facing a daunting task is to break it into manageable parts. Perhaps that’s what Edgar Berlanga appears to be doing—while preparing to face Canelo Alvarez in the ring, he’s also addressing challenges outside of it. Why not strike where it might hurt the most? The Puerto Rico versus Mexico rivalry is one of the key selling points of the upcoming fight on Saturday 14. So while Berlanga can undoubtedly count on support from his fellow Puerto Ricans, why not question whether Alvarez enjoys the same from his Mexican fanbase?

It’s the first world title shot for the Brooklyn-born Berlanga. And the inaugural attempt finds him pitted against one of the best in the business. ‘The Chosen One’ probably knows the odds when he steps into the ring. The Saturday card is a loaded one. Apart from the Alvarez-Berlanga bout, it will also feature other intriguing contests.

Edgar Berlanga: Frontlines drawn

To begin with, Edgar Berlanga didn’t like the way Canelo Alvarez smiled at him at the press conference. “He looking at me; he starts smiling in my face in New York. I probably would have smacked him,” he said. He made it clear that, considering where he comes from—Brooklyn, New York—such behavior is considered disrespectful.

He agreed with the reporter, who checked if he thought of lunging at Alvarez right at the onset. Then the million-dollar question, “He predicted the eighth round knockout; what are you predicting?” “Six rounds,” came Berlanga’s reply. Then he added further, “The Mexicans don’t like him. A lot of Mexicans don’t like him. A lot of Mexicans like him.”

‘The Chosen One’ further explained that often during his visits to Mexico he encountered many who didn’t back the super middleweight supremo. He stressed how the people from his homeland, Puerto Rico, have never held such strong emotions against him.

According to the unbeaten fighter, ultimately it boils down to how one behaves with others. “They don’t like him…because he got all the money; he got 40, 50, 100, 200 million, but money doesn’t make you know what I’m saying is about how you treat the people, how you treat the minorities…the janitor,” Berlanga claimed.

Talking about Alvarez smiling at the press conferences while speaking on DAZN’s ‘Off the Cuff’, Edgar Berlanga called Canelo Alvarez a ‘diva’. Claiming that the world champion might be considering him an easy days’ work, he said, “I hate dudes like that, like he’s a female, you know what I’m saying, like a diva.”

Digs from the camp outside

What about the sentiments on the other side of the fence? When his turn at the ‘Off the Cuff’ came, Canelo Alvarez asserted that he was way better than his opponent. He acknowledged Edgar Berlanga’s known reputation for an aggressive fight. Like many, Alvarez too felt whether Berlanga could be slightly bigger for the weight division. The Brooklynite only knew how to push ahead, the superstar claimed. But come-what-soever, it is going to be a good fight, Alvarez asserted.

That’s what even the fans are looking forward to. The latest edition of the Mexico versus Puerto Rico rivalry has been gaining in the hype department despite all the dissenting reviews it gained initially. Combined with some good undercards, the event undeniably promises to be a memorable one.

Do you agree with Berlanga on the six-round stoppage?