Canelo Alvarez easily defeated Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night, Mexico’s Independence Day weekend, by unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Although Berlanga was able to remain somewhat active, he was soundly defeated in all aspects of the sport. Fortunately, the decision was indisputable. No one could argue that Berlanga kept the fight exciting. Someone could say that Canelo won every round, and that would be a stronger argument.

The key to Canelo’s victory was his superior hand speed and boxing instincts. The Mexican icon repeatedly found a home for his jab and a number of well-trained hooks from both sides. A hook was what led to the fight’s only knockdown. Alvarez dropped Berlanga in the third round, but to the tough Puerto Rican’s credit, he got up, stayed in the firefight and continued to fight for 12 energetic rounds.

A quick and hard left hook knocked Berlanga out in the third round.

Berlanga was not hurt and quickly got up. He did not retreat after the knockdown. Instead, he stayed in the pocket longer and took the punishment.

After the fight, Terence Crawford made it clear that he wanted to fight Canelo and he took X with him with this message.

Crawford may not get his wish. Canelo has said he wants to face Dmitry Bivol again in May if he defeats Artur Beterbiev to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion.

Still, Crawford’s appeal is a longshot. Former world champion and current analyst Shawn Porter called out Berlanga for his “moral” victory.

After the fight, Berlanga seemed happy for the opportunity. He thanked Canelo multiple times for the chance, and it came across as the words of a man who never thought he would have a chance to win.

It will be interesting to see how that goes down with the fans, especially the die-hard Puerto Rican boxing fans.

Canelo’s former promoter and current nemesis Oscar De La Hoya criticized the fight, allegedly because it did not end in a knockout.

Canelo may not have the knockout power he once had, but his raw boxing skills don’t seem to have faded. He proved himself vastly superior to Berlanga, which was good enough for a dominant win.

Canelo’s Last 5 Results Before Victory Over Edgar Berlanga

• To win against Jaime Munguia by unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, on May 5, 2024.
• To win against Jermell Charlo by unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, on October 1, 2023.
• To win against Gennady Golovkin by unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on September 17, 2022.
• Loss to Dmitry Bivol by unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, on May 7, 2022.
• To win against Caleb Plant by TKO (punches) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, on November 6, 2021.

If Canelo does face Bivol or Beterbiev in May, he won’t have to worry about critics bashing his opponent. Bivol and Beterbiev are monsters, and the former already has a win over Canelo.

Berlanga may have increased his value. No one gave him much of a chance to win the fight. He certainly proved he was tough.

Edgar Berlanga’s Last 5 Fights Before Loss to Canelo Alvarez

• To win against Padraig McCrory by KO in the 6th round at Caribe Royale Orlando, Florida, on February 24, 2024.
• To win against Jason Quigley by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden, New York, on June 24, 2023.
• To win against Steve Rolls by unanimous decision at the Hulu Theater, Madison Square Garden, New York, on March 19, 2022.
• To win against Marcelo Esteban Coceres by unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on October 9, 2021.
• To win vs. Demond Nicholson by unanimous decision at Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, Florida on April 24, 2021

That said, some fight fans might be a little disappointed with his satisfaction with the loss.