‘I’m gonna put him on his a—’: Berlanga dares Canelo to come out swinging

Edgar Berlanga says he’ll stop Canelo in September.

Edgar Berlanga has the chance he’s been hoping for, as he’ll face Canelo Alvarez in a pay-per-view main event on Saturday, Sept. 14 in Las Vegas.

Canelo — who has gained headlines this week for being the first notable name in boxing to not immediately bend the knee to Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh’s whims — is a massive favorite in this fight, listed currently at -1400 by DraftKings Sportsbook.

But Berlanga (22-0, 17 KO) feels he can continue his winning ways in what will be his first pro fight as an underdog, and a huge one at that.

“Tell him to come out first round swinging,” Berlanga told Matchroom cameras. “Watch what’s going to happen to him, I’ll put him on his ass. I give him six. That’s a fact.”

“I’ve already been studying, he likes to run around the first two, three rounds to feel you out,” he continued. “But let him try to open up after that. Let him try to open up and see what’s going to happen to him. I’m gonna put him nasty, you heard.”

Berlanga, of course, gained some promotional momentum from ESPN and Top Rank when he started his career with 16 straight first round stoppage wins, but as soon as that streak inevitably came to a close in 2021, so did much of the hype.

He won five straight fights by decision before stopping Padraig McCroy in February of this year, and along the way parted with Top Rank to sign with Matchroom, with a Canelo fight his clear focus.

That time has come for him, and he’ll get what he’s been talking about ever since he first gained a little notoriety several years ago.

Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KO) will be defending his WBC, WBA, and WBO super middleweight titles in the fight. He has never been stopped in his career.