Canelo’s disappointing options for the next fight: Eubank Jr. vs. Berlanga

Canelo Alvarez only has two candidates left for his next fight: Chris Eubank Jr. and Edgar Berlanga.

Dan Rafael states that according to his sources, Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) and Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) are the two that undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) is considering.

The uninspiring candidates

Salvador Rodriguez of ESPN Knockout reported last week that these were the two fighters Canelo had his eye on, but now it’s confirmed that it could be either of them.

These are bad decisions for Canelo, who he is due to fight in September, because neither of them deserves the golden ticket to a million-dollar pension. Eubank Jr., 34, is old, inactive and not in the top 15 in the super middleweight division. He fights in the 160 division and was knocked out by Liam Smith last year.

Berlanga’s backdoor approach

Choosing Berlanga could send the wrong message to fans that it’s OK for fighters to take a backdoor approach to a big fighter and fight losers to get to that spot. In fact, 16 of Berlanga’s first 16 fights ended in a first-round knockout, and it’s not because he’s a phenomenon.

Berlanga’s last 4 wins:

– Padraig McCrory
– Jason Quigley
– Roamer Alexis Angulo
– Marcelo Coceres

These are low-level fighters, and unfortunately, these are the best names in Berlanga’s eight-year career. When he had the chance to challenge David Morrell for his WBA “regular” super middleweight title, he chose not to take it.

Eubank Jr., 34, wouldn’t be such a bad choice for Canelo, but for the fight to make sense, it should take place in the UK. He will sell well there and British fans will be overjoyed to see Canelo fight one of their countrymen in person.

Eubank Jr. made amends in his last fight by knocking out Liam Smith in the tenth round in their rematch on September 2, 2023. In their first fight last year, Eubank Jr. was knocked out in the fourth round.

More worthy challengers overlooked

– Christian Mbilli
– Diego Pacheco
– David Morrell
– Hamzah Sheeraz
– Janibek Alimkhanuly
– Willy Hutchinson
– Joshua Buatsi
– Dan Azeez