If there was ever any doubt that boxing is a sport run on star energy fairly than high quality of competitors, you simply had to have a look at the energized, bought out T-Cell Area in Las Vegas to affirm that.
Coming into Saturday’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga tremendous middleweight title battle, the thought was that it will be about as aggressive as Dan Rafael vs. Bob Arum in a rooster wing consuming competitors.
Regardless of efforts from the promotion to make this battle a feel-good after-the-fact occasion, the reality of the matter was that Alvarez gained all however just a few seconds of the bout (regardless of beneficiant judges’ scorecards of 117-110, 118-109, and 118-109). He was by no means even remotely bothered by something Berlanga did, aside from struggling a case of harm emotions when the Brooklynite tried to steer along with his head within the eighth spherical.
However how good was anybody imagined to really feel a couple of -1800 favourite dominating a battle everybody knew he would dominate, within the worst attainable way– by way of competent factors victory?
I received no explicit thrill from what amounted to a wasted evening within the profession of a contemporary nice, besting an overmatched, undeserving opponent in what stands to be, realistically, one in all a remaining handful of nights in a Corridor of Fame run.
The paying followers meting out $90 for the pay-per-view, anticipating one thing aside from a showcase for Canelo, additionally couldn’t have been too pleased– particularly in the event that they sat via that soul-draining Erislandy Lara-Danny Garcia snoozer proper earlier than the principle occasion.
Canelo, nonetheless, was actually ecstatic after the battle, grinning ear-to-ear, “Viva Mexicoing” the hell out of the partisan pro-Canelo crowd within the post-fight interview.
And who can blame him for being pajama-splitting blissful after Saturday’s bout?
He made a shit-ton of cash for preventing somebody with no likelihood of beating him, who, by being sturdy and never crumbling beneath the burden of the second, lent an oz of credibility to an entirely not credible pairing. There could be no, “What the fuck might I do, he wouldn’t battle?” laments, like after the Jermell Charlo battle or “I wasn’t at 100%” spin, like after the John Ryder bout. This time, the Mexican famous person might declare, with a straight face, that he was kinda, sorta dominating in an precise battle.
However everyone knows this one wasn’t a lot of an precise battle.
The Brooklynite received the B-side name from Staff Canelo as a result of, as somebody who could possibly be wedged right into a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico storyline, he was probably the most bankable of all of the accessible fall guys. That enterprise determination would make Berlanga’s “Chosen One” nickname extremely applicable on this event.
Canelo did his half and made for an honest present in a bout that had no actual intrigue. There have been entertaining moments the place the 34-year-old defending champ placed on the strain with official unhealthy intent and Berlanga poked again as finest he might. However Berlanga’s capability to see the ultimate bell was principally about his physique mass (reportedly upwards of 190 lbs.), in addition to Canelo’s willingness to solely go to this point in pursuit of creating a battle out of a virtuoso solo efficiency.
It also needs to be identified that Berlanga, who received plenty of pats on the again for going the total twelve and, I suppose, not being a bumbling idiot, clearly determined to NOT exit on his protect (as he had promised). He by no means went “full in” in pursuing a free-swinging, brawling battle– his solely marginally believable path to victory. As an alternative, he “boxed,” stayed comparatively protected, and located his solution to the ultimate bell, using a method that saved him from taking a beating, but in addition eradicated any likelihood he had of profitable. His solely transient flash of true gumption was within the third spherical, after he had been embarrassed by being knocked down, when he responded with about 30 seconds of fist-flinging aggression. However that was it. In a means, it was as damaging of a efficiency towards Canelo as Jermell Charlo’s final September as a result of, on the very least, Charlo by no means promised a conflict and no person anticipated one from him.
However none of this appeared to trouble the ecstatic true-believers at T-Cell or the handful of tremendous followers and model cheerleaders on social media who talked this battle up prefer it completely wasn’t a cynical mismatch that ought to’ve led to six rounds.
So, what’s subsequent for Canelo?
Truthfully, I couldn’t care much less. THIS Canelo is a boring waste of everybody’s time (and cash, which could possibly be invested in a 12 months’s value of higher, extra compelling fights). Within the days previous to this card, Alvarez talked up his want to pursue a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, who beat him decisively in Might of 2022 and, basically, ended his curiosity in satiating his aggressive starvation.
However the Bivol speak previous to Berlanga was simply a sign that Canelo was listening to all of the criticism relating to Saturday’s battle. When a promoter begins speaking up the “subsequent” battle earlier than the present battle, you realize he’s shook– and Canelo is most positively his personal promoter in each sense of the phrase lately. He ain’t preventing Bivol, although. Not in one million years. He had two years to pursue that rematch and couldn’t run far sufficient the opposite means from making it occur. Canelo’s a wise man. He is aware of {that a} rematch wouldn’t go any higher than the primary go ‘spherical and will conceivably go an entire lot worse. Plus, Bivol has his unificartion bout with Artur Beterbiev subsequent month.
With Bivol out of the query and David Benavidez clearly not taking place, that doesn’t go away a lot viable competitors on the market for Alvarez. And that, apparently, is simply high-quality with him. He’s clearly not seeking to run up towards some recreation younger buck with an actual shot of beating him up at this level in his profession.
As shut as we’ll get to a “actual” battle for Canelo is Terence Crawford, who was in attendance at T-Cell (after which “Noche UFC” at The Sphere, alongside new bestest sugar daddy Turki Alalshikh), though Alvarez issued a terse “No Remark” when requested on the post-fight press convention about the potential for preventing Crawford subsequent.
It’s extra doubtless that we’ll get a battle with Chris Eubank Jr. subsequent. The second-generation British star ticks off all of the packing containers of what current tense Canelo Alvarez is on the lookout for in his huge fights– a reputation, a formidable look, and no actual likelihood of beating him.
Notes from the Undercard:
– If solely all of us had mates like Danny Garcia has at PBC. The 2-division former champ, inactive for 2 years and absolutely faraway from the boxing scene, was gifted a shit-ton of cash for a gig he did not deserve and did not attempt to full. Garcia had by no means competed at 160 and didn’t deserve a WBA middleweight title shot towards Erislandy Lara, who, himself, barely deserved to have the belt. In flip, he carried out like he completely did NOT give a shit about returning the PBC favor with a compelling effort. Garcia, who was one of many OG PBC gamers, did nothing (towards a Lara who barely did greater than nothing) earlier than being dropped with a poke of a punch on the finish of the ninth and seeing his father wave off the dreadful bout earlier than the beginning of the tenth spherical.
– Caleb Plant-Trevor McCumby was, by far, the battle of the evening on Saturday as each truly got here to win and– OMG– truly harm each other. Plant overcame some tough patches early within the contest from the robust and awkward one-time prospect, however finally demonstrated his class. He additionally demonstrated his rising star energy because the T-Cell viewers popped exhausting for his earnest efforts and occasional posturing.
– Rolly Romero, as a I wrote over at Boxingnews.co, “mugged and thumped and made a normal mess en path to a one-sided 10-round unanimous determination win over a very ineffectual Manuel Jaimes.” Romero is so sloppy and unskilled that everyone he fights has a legit likelihood of beating him. However the sloppiness and lack of talent additionally makes him a clumsy opponent who busts up rhythm and spoils recreation plans. He’ll proceed to be a compelling watch, ala Ricardo Mayorga, who will beat the low-level pugs, lose to the elites, and perhaps, often, beat a extremely good fighter right here and there along with his mugging type.
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