Edgar Berlanga On Crawford Vs. Canelo: “Be Himself” & Fight With Confidence

Edgar Berlanga believes Terence Crawford can defeat undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez by “being himself” and fighting with “confidence” on September 13th. He can’t be intimidated by Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs).

Crawford’s Challenges at 168

The problem that will make it difficult for Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to win is the weight jump without testing himself in the 168-lb division, age, and inactivity. He may be young for 38, but that’s still an advanced age for a fighter. He’s not sure about Crawford’s ability to handle the size and power of Canelo.

What Terence has going for him is that he didn’t fight any elite or A-level fighters until his match last year against Israil Madrimov. That was an A-level fighter, and Crawford almost lost to him. He took more punishment in that fight than in any other during his career.

“He’s got to go in there and fight him. Crawford has to go in there and do what he’s got to do,” said Edgar Berlanga to Fight Hub TV about what Terence Crawford needs to do against Canelo Alvarez. “He’s got to go in there and be Crawford. Show his IQ. Show him why he’s an undisputed world champion, and go in there with confidence. That’s all it is.”

Berlanga’s advice is perfect. Crawford can’t be awed by the moment of sharing the ring with the legend, Canelo, and treat him like he were an ordinary opponent. The mistake Edgar made was that he showed Alvarez too much respect in the first 11 rounds. When he finally fought his fight in round 12, he was too far behind and couldn’t make up for lost ground.

Crawford’s Weight Jump Impact

“It’s a big weight difference – a big weight jump. That could be a difference in the fight. That’s like me jumping up to heavyweight. I’m going to feel the power and the size difference. He’s got to be himself. If he loses, we’ll all know he jumped up two weight classes to be great. He’s testing himself against a great fighter,” said Berlanga about Crawford.

That’s the good thing Terence has going for him. Even if he loses to Canelo, he won’t take the same flak from fans as if he got beaten at 154 or 147. He literally has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this fight. The one who will take a big career hit if he’s defeated is Canelo. He has the size, power, and experience advantage. So, he’s supposed to win.