Berlanga Denies Fighting Canelo For Money – ‘I’m Big On Legacy’
Edgar Berlanga has denied taking the Canelo Alvarez fight for money.
Berlanga puts his 22-0 record on the line as he takes on Alvarez during Mexican Independence Day on September 14. He enters the fight with a stoppage win over Padraig McCrory. However, Canelo is his biggest test. Alvarez is a four-division champion who has only lost to Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol.
He is the current WBO, WBC and WBA champion at 168. He was stripped after he failed to face his IBF mandatory William Scull in favor of Berlanga. Berlanga could have made a fight with Caleb Plant but chose to face Canelo. He denied doing it for the money, even if it will earn him his highest payday. Berlanga squared off to Canelo during their kick-off presser.
Berlanga Reacts
This was after Berlanga said that Canelo was cutting him off when he was speaking. Canelo refused to pipe down, forcing Berlanga to square up to him. Berlanga did not throw a punch, nor did Canelo, who warned him that he would lose his payday. Berlanga had plenty to say about the upcoming fight.
“I got Puerto Rico behind me, and I also got the hip-hop culture. That’s why I say I got the best of both worlds. I like having an island behind me, having the haters talking, and having New York behind me. That’s something I dreamed of, and I got it. The money is cool, but I’m big on legacy. My biggest fear is losing. That’s why I hate these people that say, ‘Payday.’ I’m not a crab. I’m not someone that chases money,” Berlanga said
A loss to Canelo does not damage Berlanga’s legacy since he would lose to an all-time great. Berlanga also has other big fights in the division. The bout with Plant is there, while there are other fights with Jaimie Munguia and Christian Mbilli, to name a few.
Berlanga’s Chances
There is a suggestion that Canelo is slowing down. In his last two fights against Jermell Charlo and Munguia, Alvarez failed to stop them despite dropping them. Berlanga has vowed to ‘break Canelo’s face’ after the Mexican questioned his boxing IQ. The Puerto Rican was confident he could cause an upset.
“He gave me the opportunity and I worked hard for this. The bag is there on September 14th. It’s [the payday] there already. Now, it’s about stamping my name into boxing. I’m trying to get to where he’s at. It’s not physical with this fight. It’s mental. [And] it’s intelligence, and that’s what’s going to make the difference. Everyone keeps talking about the power. ‘You’re big.’ It’s cool. He’s strong, too. He can punch, too, but it’s about the mentality, the IQ. That’s what it is for September 14th,” Berlanga stated
A win for Berlanga secures him a lucrative rematch with Canelo, earning him an even bigger payday. It also opens up other fights on his terms, making him a PPV attraction. But it will take a lot to dethrone Canelo, who has only lost to Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. That is the task facing Berlanga.
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