By Moses Ochieng

At 34, Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) took a moment to soak in the applause of a packed house in the MGM Grand lobby, soaking in the admiration and reflecting on his enduring career. His arrival for his super middleweight title defense against Edgar Berlanga seemed smooth and uncontested.

Since his 2012 victories over Hall of Famer Shane Mosley and a headline bout against Josesito Lopez during Mexican Independence weekend, Alvarez has made 18 grand arrivals in Las Vegas and starred in 17 main events in boxing’s premier city.

“I feel proud… I feel proud that I’m still here. I’m still enjoying all of this. So thankful for my fans. Every time I come, they’re here to support me,” Alvarez said in media reports.

“I love boxing. I enjoy my people, and all of this. I love what I do.”

Alvarez has lost only twice in those fights, both times when he pushed himself to his limits. The first time was in 2013, when the 23-year-old Alvarez lost by majority decision to Floyd Mayweather, overwhelmed by the experience gap. The second time was a unanimous decision loss to top-ranked light heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol, who outclassed Alvarez in size.

More often than not, though, Alvarez has emerged victorious, with moments worth celebrating. Think his highlight-reel knockout of Amir Khan in 2016 to open boxing at T-Mobile Arena, his aggressive performance to narrowly defeat arch-rival Gennady Golovkin in their 2018 rematch, and his crushing knockout of light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in 2019.

The rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico has long been a cornerstone of boxing, and Alvarez has capitalized on that to choose Berlanga over other opponents that fans have been clamoring for. Knocking out the confident 27-year-old Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) with a decisive punch would be a powerful way for Alvarez to remind everyone of his prowess as critics begin to watch the ticking clock on his legendary career.

“He’s a good fighter. He’s strong, he’s young. But he’s nothing new to me. I’ve fought everyone – every style: bigger than me, younger than me, older than me. I know everything about boxing, so my strength and experience: he’s going to feel it on Saturday night,” Canelo added.

“It’s always nice to finish by knockout and that’s what I’m going to do on Saturday night,” Alvarez continued.

Alvarez has never been knocked down, let alone stopped, despite taking on countless hard-hitting opponents. Berlanga claims he’s prepared, but he’ll have to deliver the performance of a lifetime and accomplish something no one has ever accomplished with the future Hall of Famer.