Today is the birthday of the Face of Boxing, 34-year-old Canelo Alvarez, who is headed to his next fight in September against Chris Eubank Jr. or Edgar Berlanga.
Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has stayed busy since his last birthday, defeating Jaime Munguia and Jermell Charlo by impressive decisions and holding on to his undisputed super middleweight throne.
Now the question is which fighter will get the golden ticket to make a life-changing buck against superstar Canelo in September.
British fighter Eubank Jr’s name has just been mentioned. Still, he could have trouble negotiating with him, and Canelo may need to step up if he suffers from a time-consuming headache.
It would be different if Eubank Jr., 34, was famous but unknown to the average American boxing fan. He is only one fight removed from being knocked out by Liam Smith, one of Canelo’s oldest victims since 2016.
Another option, Edgar Berlanga, it’s not much better. He was directed by his former promoters at Top Rank and now, Matchroom, where he was thrown at dangerous threats that would defeat him.
Although Berlanga’s record is 22-0, there is not a single win between them. If Berlanga had at least fought a better fighter like David Benavidez, Jaime Munguia, or David Morrell, he would have been a decent candidate to face King Canelo at his royal court in September.
If Canelo were to fight a non-title contender, these would be better options than Berlanga and Eubank Jr:
- Christian Mbili
- Diego Pacheco
- Hamzah Sheeraz: Pull him up from 160
- Caleb Plant: Compare again
It would be exciting for the fans to see Canelo fight Billi or Sheeraz. Both fighters are attacking and will bring drama to the ring. It probably won’t be difficult to negotiate with them, and there will be less backlash from the public if Canelo chooses one of them rather than Berlanga with his plastic record or Eubank Jr.
Happy Birthday, @Canelo 👑🥳 pic.twitter.com/RyN9rHAvPL
– Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) July 18, 2024
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