By: Sean Crose
“It’s easy to say you’ll knock me out,” Canelo Alvarez told Edgar Berlanga at a Tuesday press conference on Wednesday, “but it’s much more difficult to do it. Saturday night is gonna be very difficult for him, for sure. I’ve prepared for the knockout. I love the feeling of a knockout and I’m gonna do my best to get it done.” Canelo has taken criticism for facing Berlanga this weekend instead of super middleweight terror David Benavidez, but appears untroubled by the accusations of ducking.
“I just can’t wait for Saturday night,” he continued. “This is going to be a great matchup for the people. Mexico vs. Puerto Rico is always exciting.” Sure enough, Canelo will be representing his native Mexico this Saturday night in Las Vegas, while Berlanga will be representing Puerto Rico. Suffice to say, the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry is one of the biggest rivalries in the sport. “It’s an honor to fight on this date,” said Canelo. “Mexican Independence Day is very important for us. It’s very special and I’m very proud to fight for the Mexican people.”
Although he’s clearly a big favorite heading into this weekend Canelo made it clear during Wednesday’s press conference that he is taking Berlanga as seriously as he does any other opponent. “I always put 100 per cent into my fights and into training, no matter who I’m fighting,” he said. “It’s the same mentality every fight. This is no exception. I’ve had a great training camp and I’m ready.”
The undefeated Berlanga, of course, is fully aware of how big a match he’ll be having on Saturday. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Team Berlanga,” he said. “It’s gonna be a firefight this weekend. On Saturday night, I’m gonna make everyone a believer. We have Puerto Rico vs. Mexico and we’re going at it on Saturday night.” Sure enough, Berlanga is looking to end the fight early this weekend. “I’m a knockout artist,” he said. “Every fighter wants the knockout. We know that he’s a legend and we can’t just go swing for the fences. We have to do it the right way. Sixth-round knockout, that’s what we’re going for. But we’re ready for all 12 rounds if we have to.”
As for Canelo, the future Hall of Famer wants to prove he’s not over the hill at the still relatively young age of 34. “I just want to show everyone that I’m still the best,” he said.