Edgar Berlanga’s Strategy to Defeat Canelo Alvarez in a Rematch: Defense, Volume, and Inside Fighting

Edgar Berlanga can put himself in a position to fight undisputed 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez if he defeats Hamzah Sheeraz in their WBC title eliminator on July 12th in Queens, New York. Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) has an excellent chance of placing himself in the catbird seat to face Canelo in a rematch in February for a “big bag” in a fight he can win.

Canelo-Berlanga 2: Fight Strategy

1. Improve defense: Defending against Canelo’s left hook is key for Berlanga, as that was the weapon that dropped him in the second round. Alvarez relied on his hook to control most of the fight, keeping the Brooklyn, New York native cautious and fighting on the back foot. Neutralizing that left hook will be key to victory for Berlanga, because without that weapon, Alvarez won’t have enough offense to compete.
2. Increase punch output: Berlanga must throw more punches in the rematch. He only landed a measly 119 shots against Canelo in their first fight and was outworked by the Mexican star. There is no way on Earth that Edgar should have allowed that to happen.
3. Focus on inside fighting: Canelo had problems with Berlanga when they were on the inside, taking a lot of heavy shots from him. In the rematch, Edgar should fight at close quarters and use the uppercuts that he’d had success with. His accuracy was better on the inside last time, and his power was huge. You could see the impact from Berlanga’s punches when they landed to the head of Canelo. He was able to generate a lot of power on his shots at close range.

Berlanga has returned to his roots and is once again becoming the seek-and-destroy fighter he’d been at the start of his career. In a rematch with Canelo, he’ll go after him right away, focusing on throwing exclusively power shots, forcing the Mexican star to defend.

Canelo-Berlanga 2: What Will Happen?

Edgar can win the rematch with Canelo. He knows what he did wrong in his first fight with the Mexican star, and he’s not going to wait until the 12th round to let his hands go in the rematch. In the rematch, I foresee Berlanga chopping Canelo down and forcing a stoppage.

Berlanga has improved since his decision loss to Canelo in 2024 and has reverted to the aggressive style he used to knock out his first 16 opponents in the first round.

Berlanga’s Return: Aggressive Style

Against Canelo, Edgar changed his fighting style, boxing the Mexican star for the first 11 rounds. That approach was alien to how Berlanga has always fought. However, when Berlanga switched a button in the 12th, blitzing Canelo, he had him reeling, taking brutal punishment, and crumbling from the pressure.

Although Turki Alalshikh openly admitted on X last week that he would be “very upset” if Berlanga knocks out Hazah because he has “big plans” for him, Edgar intends on ruining that vision by winning on July 12th. Canelo will still have to win his next fight on September 13th for a rematch with Berlanga to take place, but it’s likely to happen.