Canelo Álvarez defeats Edgar Berlanga and retains the super middleweight belt by unanimous decision

Canelo Álvarez spent his Saturday doing what he usually does on Mexican Independence Day weekends this time of year: minding his business. In this case, it was a win over undefeated challenger Edgar Berlanga.

The unified super middleweight champion outclassed the undefeated challenger in a unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109), his fifth consecutive title defense over the full distance.

Unlike other fights where he needed time to get going, the clear favorite Álvarez had the advantage from the first round. He took the first two rounds calmly before knocking Berlanga down with a left hook in the third round. More punches followed, but Berlanga managed to survive.

Álvarez got better as the fight went on, but Berlanga’s trash talk remained high throughout. Berlanga made more missteps, including a warning for an intentional headbutt and a fall after swinging and missing a power punch. He spent much of the pre-fight period teasing Álvarez, and that continued throughout the fight, with Álvarez sometimes ranting back.

But in the end, Berlanga landed more words than punches. The couple at least hugged each other warmly after the final bell and both probably knew exactly what decision was coming.

Despite the loss, it was still a decent performance for Berlanga. He built his reputation through a series of first-round knockouts, but was a huge underdog on Saturday. Álvarez still seemed a class above him, but in the end, the 27-year-old looked like he belonged, and that can be a win in itself as he looks for his next opponent.

As for Álvarez, he hasn’t won by finish since stopping Caleb Plant, who won the previous Saturday, in November 2021. That may not bode well for how old the 34-year-old is getting.

The bigger question now, however, is where Álvarez goes from here. Rising star David Benavidez might be the easiest answer, but Álvarez may still want a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, the only fighter to beat him since Floyd Mayweather in 2013. And who knows? Maybe a superfight against super welterweight king Terence Crawford is on the cards.

Here’s how it all went down according to Yahoo Sports:

Canelo Álvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga full results

• Unified super middleweight title: Canelo Álvarez defeated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision (117-110, 118-109, 118-109)

• WBA middleweight title: Erislandy Lara defeats Danny Garcia by RTD at 3:00 of R9

• WBA Interim Super Middleweight Title: Caleb Plant defeats Trevor McCumby by technical knockout after 2:59 in round 9

• Featherweight: Rolando Romero def. Manuel Jaimes by unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 99-91)