He may not have been able to solve the Canelo Alvarez puzzle himself, but he appears confident in his advice for Terence Crawford. Brooklyn’s Edgar Berlanga tried his best to defy the odds against Canelo last year in September. However, his confidence fell face-first when Canelo’s overwhelming skill and experience left him shell-shocked. After being dropped in the third round, Berlanga could only manage to secure multiple bruises, as Canelo secured an easy unanimous decision. Despite that, his advice for Crawford didn’t change much.

“I think Crawford just got to go in there and do what he got to do,” Edgar Berlanga told Fight Hub TV. Crawford and Canelo are slated to cross paths on September 13th at the Allegiant Stadium—streaming live on Netflix. “He got to just be Crawford… show his IQ,” Berlanga added. “Show him why he’s a two-[weight] undisputed world champion and go in there with confidence.” However, the 28-year-old wasn’t completely blind to the challenge Crawford has brought upon himself.

Berlanga added, “It’s a big weight difference, a big weight jump. That could be a difference in the fight because… It’s like me jumping up to heavyweight.” Despite that, Berlanga claims ‘Bud’ has nothing to fear or lose, in case he does lose the fight. “If he loses, we’ll just all know that, hey, he just jumped up two weight classes to be great, he’s testing himself,” Berlanga claimed.

Yet, he clarified that he doesn’t doubt Crawford’s chances of beating the two-time undisputed super middleweight champion one bit, even though Crawford might get phased because of “maybe the power, maybe the size.” Although Berlanga is sure about one thing: “He’s not knocking Canelo out,” so Crawford should focus on using his ring IQ. When pressed about a prediction, Berlanga decided to go with his gut.

“I got faith in him. I think Crawford could do it,” Berlanga told the reporter. Berlanga himself has a tough test ahead of him, as he prepares to square off against Hamzah Sheeraz on July 12th at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens. Regardless, Berlanga isn’t the only one who has shared a ring with Canelo.

Kyrone Davis is confident enough in his prediction for the upcoming fight that he’s willing to put money where his mouth is. He spent time sparring with Crawford for the Shawn Porter fight in 2021 and went rounds with Canelo Alvarez out of camp. Needless to say, he has a clear picture of the skills both men possess.

“Everybody knows that Crawford has the skills,” Davis told YSM Sports Media. “But I do think that Canelo is a little bit too big for Crawford, and it’ll be a tall task for him to win.” He acknowledged that size alone doesn’t win fights, yet claims Canelo is not just bigger but highly skilled. “If I had to put my money on somebody winning the fight, it would be Canelo Alvarez.”

It appears sides are starting to form. While some swear by Crawford’s superior skills and agility, others don’t want to predict against Canelo’s obvious advantages in the fight. Ultimately, it will come down to the fight night and who wants the win most. Who do you think will win the fight?