Edgar Berlanga fired back today on social media with venom, reacting to former WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez’s labeling his September 14th match against unified 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez a “trash” fight.
Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) says Benavidez is a “dirtbag” and a hater with his comments.
David Benavidez’s Frustration and Departure
Benavidez had been Canelo’s WBC mandatory at 168 and has been waiting for a world title shot against him since 2022 but with no luck. He’s now decided to give up his mandatory to move to 175, seeking more opportunities.
It’s understandable why Benavidez would be angry that Canelo chose Berlanga, 27, rather than him for his next title defense. Berlanga is a classic example of a fighter with a flimsy cardboard record filled from top to bottom with the worst of the worst.
“F*** that fat a**. He’s a dirtbag just like his father, and God doesn’t bless nobody who’s always hating on another man. That’s for females, bro,” said Edgar Berlanga on X, reacting to David Benavidez’s criticism of Canelo Alvarez for fighting him.
Berlanga’s Dubious Record
– Marcelo Coceres
– Roamer Alexis Angulo
– Padraig McCrory
– Jason Quigley
– Steve Rolls
Most fans on social media have ridiculed Canelo’s choice of Berlanga, viewing it as a classic example of a cherry pick. Instead of fighting Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs), the heir apparent to the throne at 168, Canelo chose an easy mark, Berlanga, a fighter with a resume void of notable fighters.
“It’s a trash-a** fight. Nobody wants to see that. Canelo doesn’t face the strongest opposition,” said David Benavidez to 2ToneDaSupastar, discussing his thoughts on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight on September 14th.
Canelo should have at least fought Benavidez first before taking the easy fight against Berlanga because it would have been the right thing to do, and the fans have been asking for that match.
Fan Backlash and Cherry-Picking Accusations
The boxing public didn’t ask Canelo to defend his three 168-lb titles against the New Yorker Berlanga. This is Canelo’s baby. He wanted this fight, and now he’s got it and is dealing with a withering backlash from the fans. It hurts Canelo’s legacy to swerve Benavidez and fight this type of contender, who doesn’t rate a world title shot.
Berlanga is a project fighter who has yet to be developed, and some feel he has been intentionally matched against tomato cans to build a fake resume to get him a cash-out fight. In other words, he’s similar to Jaime Munguia, who was matched against opposition his entire career.
To earn the Canelo fight properly, Berlanga should have fought this murderer’s row of predators first:
- David Morrell
- David Benavidez
- Diego Pacheco
- Caleb Plant
- Christian Mbilli
- Hamzah Sheeraz
Could Berlanga have beaten any of these fighters? I doubt that Berlanga would even make it to the sixth round against these fighters before folding.
Inflated Resumes and Sanctioning Bodies
If the New Yorker had run the gauntlet against these killers, at least you could say he’d earned the Canelo fight. But in the absence of that, Berlanga doesn’t belong in the ring with Canelo, and he certainly doesn’t rate a #1 ranking with the World Boxing Association after beating the tin cans on his resume.
The sanctioning bodies need to make it a rule that fighters be tested against the best before being given title shots because it hurts the sport when fighters with inflated resumes are routinely selected by champions to artificially prolong their reigns as belt holders.
Would Canelo still be a world champion if he had already been forced to fight David Benavidez and David Morrell? I don’t think so. He would have lost his belts ages ago, and fighters like Berlanga wouldn’t even be in the top tier.