Several things have changed over the years. A number of U.S. presidents have walked through the doors, gas prices have reached ridiculous highs, and purchasing even the most insignificant item in your local corner store comes with a hefty price tag. The constant, by and large, that has remained the same, is Canelo Alvarez residing near the top of virtually every pound-for-pound list.
Those days, at least according to Edgar Berlanga, however, have ostensibly come to an end.
“I think he’s declining,” said Berlanga to BoxingScene.com during an interview. “I don’t think he’s at where he was before.”
In part, Berlanga’s assessment has been accentuated by Alvarez’s recent string of performances.
After fully unifying the super middleweight division in 2021, Alvarez came up woefully short against Dmitry Bivol and would follow up that outing with a listless showing against John Ryder. Although he would go on to snag victories against both, Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) was far from impressed.
As the 26-year-old continues to stalk Alvarez’s every move in the hopes of luring him into the ring, he’ll quickly turn his attention to his upcoming foe. On June 24th, at the Hulu Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Berlanga will square off against longtime journeyman Jason Quigley.
Viewed as a sizable favorite, Berlanga is glowing with confidence. Assuming that Quigley doesn’t become obtrusive on the night, Berlanga wholeheartedly believes that a showdown against Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) will happen much sooner than many anticipate.
Behind the scenes, Berlanga is still assessing Alvarez and what he has left in the gas tank. Although his Hall of Fame credentials can’t be denied, Berlanga doesn’t view Alvarez as the indomitable force that he once was. Still, while he concludes that Alvarez isn’t quite the same, that doesn’t mean that Berlanga doesn’t hold his skills in high regard.
“He’s still a beast man. You can’t sleep on that guy.”