Canelo Alvarez v Edgar Berlanga - Tale of the Tape: Weight, height, reach, trainer & professional boxing records

We analyse the credentials and statistics of Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga as the super-middleweight pair get set to clash in Las Vegas with the WBA, WBC and WBO titles on the line.

In boxing, the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico is one of the longest and greatest in the history of the sport.

Over the years, fight fans have been treated to classics such as Salvador Sanchez against Wilfredo Gomez and a pair of wars between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.

On Saturday, the latest battle between these proud fighting nations takes places as former undisputed super-middleweight champion, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, defends his belts against Edgar Berlanga at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Few expect this to be a classic, as is reflected in Canelo being a 1/20 favourite. While still amongst the best fighters on planet, Canelo is not quite the phenom he was four years ago.

However, national pride can be a powerful motivator. For his flaws, of which there are many, the challenger is young, undefeated and hits hard.

Can 19/2 underdog Berlanga reach a higher level than he has previously to establish himself as the man at 168lbs?

Saul Alvarez v Edgar Berlanga
Tale of the Tape

	Saul Alvarez	Edgar Berlanga
Age:	34	27
Nickname:	'Canelo'	'The Chosen One'
Height:	5ft 7 ½ins	6ft 1ins
Reach:	70 ½ ins	73ins
Weight:	Super-Middleweight	Super-Middleweight
Trainer:	Eddie Reynoso	Marc Ferrait
Record:	61-2-2 (39 KOs)	22-0 (17 KOs)
Last Fight:	Won - (UD) v Jaume Munguia (May 2024)	Won - (KO) v Padraig McCrory (February 2024)
Odds:	1/20	19/2

Saul Alvarez
In Profile

At the peak of his powers, Canelo was a potent combination of poise, power and precision.

While he still possesses those qualities, each has diminished, ever so slightly.

The Mexican is still the undoubted, if no longer undisputed, king of the 168lbs division, but is currently not involved in discussions regarding the pound-for-pound best in the sport.

At 34, the four-weight world champion appears to be in decline. In the modern era, it is not uncommon for fighters to be in their prime well into their 30s, but Alvarez’s career is anything but common.

Having turned professional at 15, Canelo has had 65 fights over 19 years. The vast majority of those bouts have been against high-class opposition.

In just his third fight, the teenager defeated a future lightweight titlist, Miguel Vasquez.

The man from Guadalajara won his first title when he was just 21-years-old and has predominantly been involved in world title fights ever since.

Many battles have taken their toll and Alvarez is now a split-second slower. It is a fine margin between very good and great, and at present, Canelo finds himself on the wrong side of the line.

In his run to undisputed at super-middleweight, only Callum Smith heard the final bell, but the Englishman had long since gone into survival mode.

Since capturing all the marbles, all four opponents have gone the distance. A few years previous, you would imagine he would have halted John Ryder, Jaime Munguia and Jermell Charlo.

This current incarnation of the Mexican great is still good enough to dominate the division, but it would be naïve to overlook the depth of talent at super-middleweight currently.

It appears Canelo is acutely aware he is in decline. The only viable threat to his crown is David Benavidez, but until now, Alvarez has priced himself out of such a bout, perceiving the Mexican-American to pose too great a threat for little reward.

Canelo may no longer hold all the belts, but he has not lost one in the ring. The IBF called Canelo to make a mandatory defence against, Germany-based Cuban, William Scull. The challenger lacks the profile to generate interest and, as such, Alvarez opted against the bout which resulted in him being stripped of the sanctioning body’s strap.

Even at this stage in his storied career, Alvarez likely has too much ability for the limited, inexperienced Berlanga, but it is possible someone will get the legend at the right time in the near future.

Strengths:	Weaknesses:
Accuracy	Slow feet
Disguises his shots well	Declining as a fighter
Timing	Can be outworked
Economical in his work	Easier to hit than he used to be

Edgar Berlanga
In Profile

As a prospect, Berlanga caught the eye for his ability to finish fights and quickly.

During the pandemic era, ‘The Chosen One’ was the breakout star of Top Rank’s ‘Bubble’ in Las Vegas, as he scored three first-round stoppages.

In total he halted 16 consecutive opponents inside the opening three minutes of a fight and one more would have equalled the record set by Ali Raymi.

Then the bubble burst.

Against Desmond Nicholson, Berlanga heard the final bell for the first time in his career. It soon became a familiar sound.

It would be another five fights before the vaunted puncher would win another fight by knockout.

Berlanga had fallen in love with his own power.

As he stepped up in levels against gatekeepers, simply hitting hard was not enough. Berlanga did not set up or disguise his shots, continuing to throw everything with bad intentions.

The end result is a fighter who is one-dimensional.

The 27-year-old had enough about him to hold off valiant challenges from fringe contenders, but against Canelo, it will be a different story.

If Berlanga is to pull off the upset, he will need to display facets of his skillset that we are yet to see.

Power alone will not be enough.

Strengths:	Weaknesses:
Power	Loads up on his punches
Right cross	Lack of head movement
Left hook	Neglects his jab
	Open defensively

All odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.