Retrospective · Fight: September 14, 2024 · Published:
Verified outcome
Canelo defeated Berlanga by unanimous decision in Las Vegas, with scores of 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110. He dropped Berlanga with a left hook in round three and retained the WBC, WBA and WBO super-middleweight titles. The cards and third-round knockdown describe a controlled defense, but the championship label must remain exact. Canelo defended the WBC, WBA and WBO belts; the IBF title was no longer his. Berlanga survived the first major break and reached the finish, although margins of eight and nine points show that endurance did not equal competitive closeness.
Why it mattered
The belt wording matters: Canelo was no longer IBF champion by fight night, so this was a three-belt unified defense, not an undisputed defense. Berlanga entered unbeaten and completed twelve rounds, but the wide cards captured Canelo’s sustained control. Berlanga’s early-career knockout streak had shaped his reputation, but the championship distance demanded a broader test. Surviving the third-round knockdown allowed him to show durability; it did not solve the scoring gap. Canelo’s three-belt defense reinforced his control of the division while preserving the important distinction from undisputed status. Berlanga arrived unbeaten with a reputation built on early knockouts. Completing twelve rounds with Canelo added information to his career, but it did not give him the division. Canelo preserved his position at super middleweight with three belts and another prominent defense while the championship picture remained technically divided by the missing IBF title.
A cautious reading
The third-round knockdown established the risk attached to Berlanga’s assertiveness. His decision to continue competing rather than retreat entirely gave the bout exchanges, while Canelo’s economy kept the challenger from turning activity into enough won rounds. After the verified third-round knockdown, a rewatch should ask how the fight changed without assuming the answer. Score Berlanga's offense and Canelo's clean work separately in every remaining round. Watch whether the left-hook threat returns, but do not claim it shaped the guard or limited combinations unless the complete sequence demonstrates that effect.
A rewatch question
After round three, does Berlanga’s continued aggression improve his chance to win, or mostly give Canelo the kind of exchanges he prefers? Score rounds four through twelve as if the knockdown were unknown. Find rounds where Berlanga not only starts exchanges but finishes them clearly. For Canelo, record body work and answers after the challenger's first punch. Then add the 10-8 third and identify which actions produce 118-109 instead of accepting the wide score through reputation.
Sources
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