Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga card: Caleb Plant, Danny Garcia and ‘Rolly’ Romero among fighters to watch

The eyes of the boxing world will be on Las Vegas on Saturday in another episode of the classic rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez returns to T-Mobile Arena to headline Mexican Independence Day weekend pay-per-view event as he welcomes undefeated Puerto Rican fighter Edgar Berlanga.

But as the boxing world prepares to find out whether Alvarez’s legendary reign will continue or whether Berlanga can truly shake up the 168-pound division, there’s a preliminary card loaded with big names (albeit, in potentially one-sided fights) that’s full of storylines of its own.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s under the hood on the PBC PPV card on Prime Video.

Erislandy Lara (c) vs. Danny Garcia, WBA middleweight title

It’s an intriguing one that’s filled with name value but still leaves most boxing fans confused. Lara, who has been a junior middleweight for more than a decade, moved up to 160 pounds three years ago and saw his interim title elevated to the full WBA belt despite the fact that he’s mostly fought second-tier competition at that weight class. Garcia, meanwhile, hasn’t fought in two years after making his name as a titleholder at 140 and 147 pounds. How, exactly, do these two meet at middleweight for a major title in a fight that’s been talked about and teased for two years but never came to fruition? It’s a tough question to answer without knowing the politics behind the scenes but Garcia, 36, says he nearly retired after entering training camp several times only for the fight to fall apart.

While there are some odd qualities to the fight, there’s a lot of potential for this to be a good action matchup between two very capable fighters fighting outside their preferred weight class. Lara was much more offensive at 160 pounds, relying on his hard left hand to keep opponents at bay. And his late-season form at 154 pounds has seen him become an impressive matchup with Jarrett Hurd and Brian Castano as his legs have begun to age. Garcia also hasn’t beaten a big name since stopping a fading Brandon Rios in 2018 and has hinted that he could retire even with a win. All of which is why Lara, the more active of the two, remains a 3-1 betting favorite.

Caleb Plant vs. Trevor McCumby, WBA interim super middleweight title

Despite losing two of his last three fights on PPV to Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, the 32-year-old Plant remains one of the most talented fighters in the 168-pound division (especially with Benavidez and David Morrell Jr. moving up in weight). Plant, who is coming off an 18-month layoff, believes a win over the undefeated (but largely untested) McCumby would set him up for a big-money rematch with Alvarez. Either way, this “exhibition” fight should be the perfect opportunity to revive Plant’s brand, especially if he proves capable of defeating his underdog opponent, who is known for his aggressive support of right-wing politics and a failed drug test since 2016. Not only did an 18-month suspension keep McCumby out, injuries and disappointment kept him out for nearly five full years before returning in 2023 to win three straight. McCumby, who was outscored 8-1, has been a big slammer against Plant, who was widely favored, even going so far as to label him a “loser,” a label that seems absurd. Either way, Plant comes with a great opportunity, in his third fight under esteemed trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, to reassert himself in a major way.

Rolando Romero vs. Manuel Jaimes, junior welterweight

While this certainly looks like a recovery fight for the hard-hitting Romero following his 140-pound title loss to Isaac Cruz via knockout in March, one can never be so sure when it comes to the colorful and unpredictable “Rolly.” Romero remains a boxing clown in the lower divisions who is no stranger to seeing his close title wins come under scrutiny due to favorable decisions against Jackson Marinez and Ismael Barroso. However, Romero is also a legitimate knockout threat with both hands and he remains a valuable dance partner, even on PPV, due to his unquestionable ability to upset his opponents and help sell big fights. In boxing, though, you’re only as good as your last fight and Romero is in desperate need of a win. His opponent, Jaimes, enters the first 10-rounder of his career after turning pro in 2018, but is not a betting underdog, especially since Romero is still very raw technically and has lost his previous fights. If Romero lands a big punch and comes back victorious, there’s no telling how big a potential next fight could be.

Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Carlos Castro, featherweight

Fourteen months after losing his 122-pound title fight to pound-for-pound elite Naoya Inoue in Japan, Fulton is finally back and moving up to a new division. The Philadelphia native will headline Saturday’s prelims ahead of the PPV in a tight battle against veteran Carlos Castro, whose only losses have come against former champions Luis Nery and Brandon Figueroa. The fight should be a perfect test to see what Fulton is like after his embarrassing first loss and to see if he can reclaim his P4P reputation.