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| dgar Berlanga has vowed to silence the doubters and shock the world when he takes on Canelo Alvarez for the Mexican’s WBA, WBC and WBO World Super-Lightweight titles at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN Pay-Per-View and Prime Video Pay-Per-View. Berlanga (22-0 17 KOs) faces Canelo (61-2-2 39 KOs) in his first World title bout and does so under the brightest of lights in the sport; meeting the Mexican ruler on Mexican Independence Day weekend. The Puerto Rican ace has embraced the spotlight in Sin City in the build up to the biggest night of his career, and the 27 year old believes he will emerge as a new superstar in boxing by ripping the titles from the pound-for-pound star and doing so in knockout style. “He’s overlooking me, and he doesn’t respect me,” said Berlanga. “Canelo is in the way of my dreams now, I’m the Chosen One, and I’m ready to become the face of boxing, I’m going to knock him the f**k out. “People don’t understand that I am getting better, and better, and better. Who I was in my last fight is not who I am going to be on Saturday. This is the chance to prove that I am one of the best in the sport, a lot of people have a question mark on me right now, that gets removed fighting a legend and it’s time for new blood to come in and take over the 168lb division. “A lot of guys at this level are stuck on the same repetition, but I am like a sponge, I keep learning and getting better. “I’ve been facing adversity all my life, since I was a newborn. I almost lost my life when I was two weeks old, so I was a fighter from then. I got sick when I was younger, I had three pneumonias, I was in a critical condition in the hospital, and I fought through that too. “This is a dream come true for me and I can’t believe sometimes that I am actually here. It’s a blessing from the Lord, through all our trials and tribulations, it was his plan, and we followed it. It’s an amazing feeling, sometimes I look back and think ‘wow, we did it, we made it here’ but the job is not done yet, we still have to go out, win and become a legend. “I actually like Canelo a lot. It’s crazy that I have studied him a lot, because he was one of my idols growing up and his style reminded me of me. He’s a puncher, he can take a punch, he likes to fight, he’s smart. What he’s done, that’s what I am chasing, legacy. Fighting the best, defending the titles, putting on mega shows, and his resume is elite. You can’t take that away from him and I am working towards that. “If he comes out in that first round, it’s going to be a bloodbath for sure, he’s in for a world of trouble, it’s going to be the biggest upset in boxing history. I have to step into the ring with that man, a legend, but I am going to be a legend – and the new.” |
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