“I was a double win, bro. The only person they seen go toe to toe like that, with a legend like that bro is Triple G. In my generation, nobody has fought a legend. I fought a legend.” This is how Edgar Berlanga responded in his conversation with Naji when asked about his fight with the unified super middleweight champion—Canelo Alvarez.

In his eyes, Berlanga fought a legend, and that in itself was a win, even though he lost the fight. And it’s true. He’ll need 39 more wins just to match Canelo’s current record, forget the accolades that Canelo won along the way, and the elite-level opponents he bested. Even with a 7-year age gap, that’s an impossible gap to bridge for anyone. So it’s not wrong for him to consider the loss he took against Canelo last September a win. And let’s not forget the experience he gained from fighting one of the best of this generation. He can take forward this experience to his future bouts, which he did. 

The 27-year-old defeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in the very first round last month at the Caribe Royale in Orlando. That was his last fight under Matchroom and Eddie Hearn. So fresh of his win, he is taking time to indulge in casual conversations with people like Naji Chill from Cigar Talks. It was here that he was asked about the unanimous decision loss to Canelo Alvarez. Though he refuses to look down on his loss to the Mexican star, based on what he said in the interview, it feels like he is still harboring some regret about it. And if given the chance, he feels he can defeat the man who triumphed over him last year.

“I’m not gonna lie though. I know I could beat him,” remarked Berlanga, when asked about the toughest part of facing the veteran boxer. “I know I could get in his head. I know the s**t that I was doing to him was getting in his head,” Berlanga said. With a crowd of almost 20,000 spectators booing at him at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, at least he needed to be on his own side, be it through trash-talking. Not only that, he felt he could’ve used better strategies in his boxing technique too.

“I wasn’t letting my hands fly. If I would have let my hands fly, and this (left hand) was 100%… you see what I did to my—I knocked him (Gonzalez-Ortiz) the f**k out with my left. I got my left back, I would have beat him bad,” Edgar Berlanga claimed boldly. By now, it is clear that, regardless of what is true, the Brooklyn-born boxer feels he could’ve turned the tables around on Canelo Alvarez if he wanted to. “Cuz I was in his head like bad. I was in his head like easy. I was stepping on his foot, I was talking s**t to him. I was telling him to s**k a d**k in Spanish. You know what I’m saying? He was hitting me, hitting my hip; I was hitting him in his b**ls… I was doing s**t to him back,” he revealed. Since the fight has already ended, what now?

It is actually a good thing for an athlete to realize where they missed the mark, and work on it to come back stronger. And that is precisely what Berlanga wants to do next. So if the opportunity ever presents itself, he can do what he failed to do the first time around. “So, like, if we ever get a rematch, I’m going to get in his head more. You feel me?” he confidently added. While Edgar Berlanga is confident in his own ability to defeat the 62-2 boxer, he feels that the Mexican is easier to take down than it looks.

Edgar Berlanga seemingly gave Canelo Alvarez his toughest fight, and he has proof

Last week, Berlanga made another appearance on the Mr Jay Hill Network, where he ridiculed Canelo’s punches. “I was like, ‘You hit like a b***h. Keep going’,” Berlanga recalled. “Look at his face compared to all them other n***s he fought. And when he fight in Vegas, every time, he go to his after-party, always go to his after-party and resort. He didn’t go to his after-party [after fighting me]. I went to the club. He was partying crazy after he beat up Munguia,” the 27-year-old posited. With so many bold claims and arguments made to back them up, Berlanga deems himself ready to take on whoever comes next. 

Be it Alvarez or Caleb Plant, the fighter Berlanga has had his predatory stare on for some time now, the Puerto Rican is eyeing a shot at being the world champion. In fact, Berlanga wants Sweethands next. However, he’s the one who has been avoiding the bout for long, even when the Plant’s manager presented an opportunity.

As of now, it is hard to predict who Berlanga’s next opponent could be, but Saul Alvarez is completely focused on his undisputed bout with William Scull on May 3rd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Likewise, Plant is set to face Jose Armando Resendiz, on May 31st at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Who do you think Edgar Berlanga will pick for his next fight? And do you think his arguments hold water?