Connect with us

Boxing

Wainwright rates Canelo vs. Berlanga

Published

on

News broke in midweek that Canelo Alvarez would be taking a chance on his WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight title fight with Edgar Berlanga on Mexican Independence Day weekend, September 14, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It was almost universally met with derision. Most believe that the Ring’s No. 9-ranked super middleweight (although he’ll move up when David Benavidez and David Morrell leave for featherlight heavyweight) is completely undeserving of it, and, well, they’re not wrong.

I live in the UK and I ask myself, would I stay for this fight? No. Would I set an alarm to get up and watch it early in the morning? No. I’ll watch it the next day and even then because I can’t completely miss it because writing about boxing is my job. I hope there are one or two notable fights on the preliminary card. The co-main event, Erislandy Lara-Danny Garcia, could be a good fight but it seems a few years too delayed.

Berlanga (22-0, 17 knockouts) enters with an unblemished record and Puerto Rican heritage that will no doubt be utilized. Berlanga, who won his first 16 fights in the first round, drew attention before going the distance in four more fights and looking less resolute. It should be noted, however, that he did not fight in Puerto Rico and is not a huge draw.

Berlanga caused quite a stir some time ago, but ever since he became a promising prospect he has started to resemble a factory-made product.

He was treated so cautiously by his management that Top Rank decided to remove him from their roster because he did not want to appear in the ring and also because he was on a six-month suspension for biting Roamer’s opponent Alexis Angulo during their June 2022 fight.

Eddie Hearn seemed to have slipped in and signed a free agent deal, given his close working relationship with Canelo. Sign Berlanga, check, put him up against a handpicked opponent, check, then enter the competition for Canelo, check.

The fight was believed to be between Canelo and either Berlanga or Chris Eubank Jr., a middleweight contender who had previously tried his hand at super middleweight. Truth be told, Eubank Jr. didn’t deserve it any more than Berlanga. Ultimately, Berlanga won.

Canelo has the deepest resume in boxing, but the recently 34-year-old is facing low-hanging fruit. This is no Gennadiy Golovkin, Billy Joe Saunders, Dmitry Bivol, etc. This is much more Rocky Fielding or Avni Yildirim.

Will Berlanga be crushed like Anvi Yildirim in 2021? Photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.

David Benavidez has long been a fan favorite, but he got tired of waiting for his deserved chance to fight Canelo and announced last week that he would be permanently retaining his featherlight heavyweight spot. It’s a similar story with the threatening but unheralded David Morrell. If Canelo didn’t fight Benavidez, to paraphrase Muhammad Ali, “Morrell has two chances: Slim and none, and Slim just left town.”

There are other contenders for Canelo, but unless you get particularly artistic looking at 160 or 175 (and after the loss to Bivol, we know Canelo won’t be returning to featherlight heavyweight anytime soon). Truth be told, there aren’t many options. He already has wins over the respected Caleb Plant and Jaime Munguia.

With Benavidez and Morrell gone, the most deserving contender is Christian Mbilli, The Ring’s No. 2 super middleweight who has made quite a splash in Canada. He’ll face Sergey Derevyanchenko in what’s shaping up to be the potential fight of the year on Aug. 17.

Meanwhile, Mbilli’s promotional teammate Osleys Iglesias has caught the eye with two devastating knockouts this year but currently finds himself in the high-risk, low-reward category. The Cuban will face Morrell’s former victim Sena Agbeko and is doing everything he can to promote his claim by staying busy and turning heads when he fights.

William Scull is the undeserved IBF mandatory and was hoping to play that card, but when it became clear that Canelo would face Berlanga, the IBF stripped the Mexican star of his title. Scull will likely face the equally unknown Vladimir Shishkin.

I think if Terence Crawford is successful in his junior middleweight fight with Israil Madrimov this Saturday, it will have a massive impact on the possibility of a Canelo-Crawford fight next year.

Canelo earned the right to decide a long time ago. He’s very stubborn and likes to remind us of that from time to time, and I think that’s part of the reason he hasn’t shown any desire to fight Benavidez. He’s been snubbed by a younger, bigger fighter and he doesn’t want to give him a payday (along with the fact that the more people ask him about the fight, the more he refuses to bow to peer pressure).

If he continues on his current trajectory (which will last a few more fights before he retires), his PPV stats could start to plummet.

Maybe Berlanga will be a little better than I give him credit for, but Canelo will have to physically fall off a cliff after 65 fights and countless rounds of sparring to be in any real danger.

The future Hall of Famer has not scored a knockout in five fights in three years. That needs to change, or the jeers will only get louder, as will suggestions that Canelo has slowed down accordingly.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

Published

on

Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).

If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.

“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”

29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.

Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.

“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”

Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.

The next move is Badou Jack’s.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

Published

on

Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.

This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.

In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.

“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.

“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.

Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.

Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.

Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.

However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.

In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.

It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

Published

on

Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.

Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”

WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.

Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.

As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.

However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.

Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.

Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.

Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending