Roy Jones Jr. Sends Advice to Canelo Alvarez
Roy Jones Jr. publicly defended Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez’s choice of opponents before Álvarez’s September 14, 2024 bout with Edgar Berlanga. Jones told BoxingScene that Canelo was not obligated to take every fight critics demanded. In a separate pre-fight interview, Jones advised Berlanga to pressure Álvarez and try to hurt him early; that advice was directed to Berlanga, not Canelo.
What Jones said
Jones said Álvarez had earned the right to choose his opponents and was not required to accept every matchup proposed by fans or critics. That was Jones’s opinion about the criticism Canelo faced before the Berlanga fight. Separately, Jones told Fight Hub TV that Berlanga would need to apply pressure and test Canelo early. The two comments concerned different sides of the matchup.
The fight
Canelo Álvarez fought Berlanga at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024. Álvarez won by unanimous decision, dropping Berlanga in the third round and retaining the WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight titles. Premier Boxing Champions’ scorecard records the result and official cards.
A pre-fight opinion, not a prediction of the result
Jones’s defense of Canelo’s matchmaking and his advice to Berlanga were opinions expressed before the bout. The result was determined in the ring: Álvarez won a 12-round unanimous decision. Jones’s comments add context to the buildup, but they do not establish that his advice affected either boxer’s performance.
Sources:
[1] BoxingScene: Jones defends Álvarez’s opponent choices
[2] EssentiallySports: Jones’s advice to Berlanga
[3] PBC: Álvarez–Berlanga official scorecard
Sources
Tags: Boxing
