Canelo Alvarez Rat Race: Edgar Berlanga Plans to Make Good of Mandatory Status

Edgar Berlanga struck gold with a knockout victory over Padraig McCrory. The non-title bout has brought him closer to his goal. The win made him the WBA’s mandatory challenger to Canelo Alvarez. For the undisputed super middleweight champion, he might be one more name on the list of challengers he needs to contend with. But for young Berlanga, the chance to fight with the ‘face of boxing’ is a career-defining move. Hence, he has to make the most of the opportunity at his disposal.

Of course, the development has received its share of criticism. Given David Morrell‘s presence as the WBA’s regular super middleweight champion, a fight between him and Berlanga sounds as feasible as possible. However, Edgar Berlanga reportedly shut down any such contentions. He made it clear that it was the Canelo Alvarez fight that he wanted. The rumors of the Mexican champion’s rumored return to Matchroom stable may have only added credibility to prospects. No wonder he’s fiercely defending his chance.

Edgar Berlanga: Here for the Long Haul

So a few hours ago, ‘The Chosen One’ slammed the boxing community. Why do they need to misinterpret so much? That’s leading to heightened misunderstandings about his team. “The boxing world has to stop taking words out of context, especially on my team!!!!!! Tired of y’all shit !!!” He said. Then, putting it in a way that sounded like a confirmation, he said that he and his team have been getting themselves ready for the Canelo Alvarez fight and that he is the mandatory challenger for the undisputed champion.

He added, “We been ready for Canelo, and we are now the mandatory.” Calling out his Puerto Rican roots, he finally pegged their fight as, viz., Puerto Rico versus Mexico. It will be one of the biggest clashes of the year, he asserted: “Puerto Rico vs. Mexico is the biggest fight to be made this year!!! Canelo x Berlanga.“

Fans might as well remember. One of the reporters at the post-fight conference pointed out that he met David Morrell. The WBA champion reportedly told him that he would be willing to step in if Berlanga didn’t have a shot to fight Jaime Munguia or Canelo Alvarez. Hence, the reporter wanted to know from ‘The Chosen One’ whether he’d also be willing to move in that direction.

Edgar Berlanga responded, “Nah, we uh we we we on to something different right now. You know, I know they you know they gave us a WBA medal. You know, number one for the for the title bout. Yeah, we want the bigger things. You know, we want Canelo.”

It’s too early to gauge how some of the fans might treat the Alvarez-Berlanga matchup, if at all it eventually turns up. Almost all the fans wanted to see the David Benavidez and Canelo Alvarez fight. But his rumored move to the 175-pound division has put a dampener on the line-up. Then a fight with Terence Crawford now sounds far-fetched on account of the weight difference. A fight with Jermall Charlo, as Eddie Hearn speculated, might not be commercially viable. Hence, Munguia and Berlanga remain the most feasible options.

Read More: Edgar Berlanga Believes David Benavidez Will Be “Overwhelming” for Canelo Alvarez if They Fight

What’s your take? Is Edgar Berlanga putting all the eggs in the same basket, or would it be prudent for him to keep other options alive?

Also Read: Terence Crawford Wants Edgar Berlanga to Fight His Friend Steven Nelson