Canelo Alvarez vows to crush Edgar Berlanga’s dreams

Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga were not even born when the late Salvador Sanchez battered Puerto Rican legend Wilfredo Gomez in 1981, delivering a pounding that most boxers and boxing fans of Mexican and Puerto Rican consider a classic. 

That Sanchez victory was one of the iconic moments in the heated rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican fighters. Julio Cesar Chavez , one of Mexico’s greatest athletes, delivered another classic in 1992 when he silenced the brash and somewhat vulgar Puerto Rican star Hector Camacho five years after Chavez beat Puerto Rican Edwin Rosario.

Canelo was only two years old when Chavez dispatched Camacho. Berlanga wasn’t even born. Yet, Alvarez and Berlanga know what those fights meant to their Mexican and Boricua brothers and sisters. They realize that there will be more than Alvarez’s championship belts on the line when they fight on Sept. 14 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Berlanga, a Nuyarican from Brooklyn, has the chance to atone for Gomez and Camacho in the same way Puerto Rico’s Felix Trinidad did against Mexican American champ Oscar De La Hoya in 1999.

Although Berlanga, 27, is a perfect 22-0 with 17 knockouts, he’s the underdog. In many ways he’s a relative unknown to mainstream sports fans in the same way Sanchez was leading to his upset over Gomez 43 years ago. 

Canelo Alvarez ready to crush dreams

Berlanga knows Canelo is the marquee name in this fight. 

“There’s a lot of doubt out there on me,” Berlanga said. “But I’ve been facing adversity all my life. This is my opportunity to be legendary in the sport of boxing. Sept. 14 is going to be something to remember. Puerto Rico vs. Mexico is the biggest rivalry in boxing, and we’re making history Sept. 14.”

Canelo, 34, is 61-2 with 39 knockouts. The native of Guadalajara is arguably the biggest name in boxing. He can practically hand-pick his opponents. While most of the boxing world would rather see Canelo challenge himself against Mexican American David Benavidez, Canelo is avoiding the Phoenix champ.

Instead, Alvarez’s Canelo Promotions is giving Berlanga a chance as the main event on Mexican Independence weekend.

“Mexico vs. Puerto Rico is history,” Alvarez said. “There have been so many great fights between them, and this is going to be another one added to that story. This is going to be a great night for boxing.”

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Alvarez and Berlanga began promoting the fight in earnest on Monday with a press conference in New York. They then headed to Los Angeles for another press conference scheduled for Tuesday. New York Hip Hop icon Joseph Antonio Cartagena, or Fat Joe, who is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, joined Berlanga at Monday’s press conference. 

Fat Joe, the legendary rapper from the Bronx, has been a loyal presence for Berlanga over the years. He has given the young boxer even more street cred among Boricuas in the U.S. 

Fat Joe support

Ultimately, though, Berlanga will have to take care of business in the ring if he wants Alvarez’s WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight world titles.

“Even if I had a world title, I’d still be overlooked,” Berlanga says. “Nobody wanted to sign me when I went pro. I had to dig my feet deep into the ground and work. I feel like I’m in the same position right now.”

Two nations and one U.S. territory will be watching closely. No Puerto Rican boxer has had an opportunity like this since Miguel Cotto fought Alvarez on Nov. 21, 2015. Alvarez beat Cotto that night to earn the Ring Magazine and WBC middleweight crowns. 

“I’ve been boxing for 20 years, and we’ve been dreaming about this fight,” Berlanga says. “When I first turned pro, Canelo was on my mind. I manifested this fight.”

Canelo is ready to oblige.

“If he’s dreaming about fighting me, that’s perfect,” Alvarez said. “He’s got it. Dreams coming true for him, but it’s gonna hurt.”