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Canelo Alvarez is about to lock horns with Edgar Berlanga on September 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The duo will fight for Canelo’s WBA, WBO, and WBC super-middleweight titles in a fight that is being marketed as Mexico vs. Puerto Rico. This, in the past, has worked for Canelo extremely well. But Oscar De La Hoya seems to have an issue with Berlanga being identified as Puerto Rican for his Canelo Alvarez fight since he was born and raised in Brooklyn.
You see, Canelo took the Miguel Cotto fight in 2015 when he was being pressured for a fight against Gennady Golovkin, and it turned out well for him. And not just him, Cotto’s rivalry with Antonio Margarito produced two of the greatest fights in boxing history. However, is Berlanga at the same level as Cotto? Not really! Regardless, Oscar didn’t miss this opportunity to take shots at Berlanga.
Well, Oscar De La Hoya never really had the best relationship with Canelo Alvarez to begin with. Ever since they separated in 2020, both parties have taken direct and indirect jabs at each other in public. However, now it seems Berlanga has been caught in the crossfire. “Edgar Berlanga… He claims he has [the] whole country [Puerto Rico] behind him. Edgar, bro, you are from Brooklyn. I think I am more Puerto Rican than you are and I only lived there for six years,” Oscar said in the latest edition of his ‘Clap-Back Thursdays’.
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He continued, “Puerto Rico doesn’t claim you, bro. And as I said weeks ago, this fight will not do well on September 14”. The Head of Golden Boy explained that it’s not just because Canelo has picked a rather unknown opponent for himself, but also because of UFC 306, which is set on the same night, just down the street from the MGM Grand.
What’s your reaction?
Oscar De La Hoya just threw major shade at Edgar Berlanga! React!
Reactions
Clap Back Thursday time!!! Hey DUCKNELO 👏👏👏😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Y1UWRFjmah
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) August 9, 2024
“They are going up against the UFC’s debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Now, that’s a spectacle that everyone and their mother [have] been waiting to see,” Oscar added. It’s hard to determine whether Oscar’s hypothesis will come true or not, but there has undoubtedly been a rise in UFC’s popularity, not to mention that Sean O’Malley is headlining the event.
However, one could say Oscar is a bit biased here since he signed a deal with Riyadh Season a while back to make the best fights happen. Further proving the point, Oscar said in the video about the UFC event, “Who is funding it and making it all happen? Turki Alalshikh,” in other words, Oscar’s new business partner.
What’s your perspective on:
Is Oscar De La Hoya right to question Edgar Berlanga's Puerto Rican identity? What do you think?
Have an interesting take?
The Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), recently announced that the Riyadh Season will sponsor the Noche UFC. It means Canelo will be in direct competition with Dana White, the UFC and its fighters, and to top it all off, Turki Alashaikh. However, Berlanga isn’t the only one Oscar took aim at!
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Oscar De La Hoya brands Canelo Alvarez an arrogant piece of s**t
Speaking of Canelo Alvarez and Turki Alalshikh, the duo has started a beef after HE revealed he is no longer pursuing a fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo. While Alvarez claimed he doesn’t really care whether the fight gets made or not, Turki Alalshikh accused him of pursuing only easy bouts, something that was too enticing for Oscar to not jump into.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago1012886131h.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
via Imago
June 29, 2022, Jersey, NJ, United States: Canelo Alvarez attends the Icons Series press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz in Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City. Jersey United States – ZUMAs197 0161810621st Copyright: xEfrenxLandaosx
In his clip, Oscar also said, “This one actually may be my favorite so far. So, it turns out that I am not the only one that thinks that Canelo is an arrogant piece of s**t.” Referencing the collapse of the offer between Crawford and Canelo, Oscar added, “He’s outpriced himself so much that the Saudis don’t even want to deal with him and it’s all because he will do anything not to fight David Benavidez.”
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Having said that, it seems Oscar De La Hoya has rallied behind his business partner, His Excellency Turki Alashaikh, to slam Canelo Alvarez for choosing to fight Edgar Berlanga. As for whether the event will flop because of UF 306, only time will tell! Do you think Canelo vs. Berlanga would do better than the UFC Noche?
Debate
Is Oscar De La Hoya right to question Edgar Berlanga's Puerto Rican identity? What do you think?