The unusually long embrace Saul “Canelo” Álvarez and Edgar Berlanga shared as soon as the final bell sounded Saturday night signified that the brave Berlanga earned Álvarez’s respect during a 12-round fight that initially looked like it would end much earlier.

Álvarez blasted Berlanga with a flush left hook that dropped the huge underdog to the seat of his trunks barely a minute into the third round. Brooklyn’s Berlanga banged his gloves together in frustration, fought out of that trouble and remained on his feet throughout a fight BetMGM listed Álvarez as a 16-1 favorite to win.

Mexico’s Álvarez acknowledged that Berlanga “did good” during his post-fight interview with Jim Gray. The unified super middleweight champion connected unofficially on 49 percent of his power punches, however, and won a unanimous decision by wide distances on the scorecards of judges Max De Luca (118-109), David Sutherland (117-110) and Steve Weisfeld (118-109).

This lopsided loss amounted to a win for Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs), who was mostly dismissed as an overmatched opponent who hadn’t truly earned his shot at Álvarez’s belts. Álvarez, meanwhile, went the distance in a fifth straight fight.

The Guadalajara native hasn’t produced a knockout since he stopped Caleb Plant during the 11th round of their championship unification fight in November 2021. That definitely didn’t seem to matter to the 34-year-old legend’s loyal fans who packed T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for another Álvarez celebration two days before Mexico’s Independence Day.

Now that this one-sided showcase is behind him, the focus quickly shifted Saturday night toward what’s next for Álvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs). He might not return to the ring until May 3, but boxing’s biggest star in the United States didn’t say whether he’ll fight before then, nor did he mention any potential opponents for his next bout in his interview with Gray.

Boxing’s 168-pound king could continue facing younger, unbeaten super middleweight contenders, even if he were to keep avoiding David Benavidez — the undefeated, two-time former WBC super middleweight champion and longtime WBC No. 1 contender who moved up to light heavyweight for his last bout because he couldn’t secure a shot at Álvarez.

Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), a Cameroon native who resides and trains in Montreal, is ranked No. 1 by the WBC. Los Angeles’ Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) is the WBO’s No. 1 contender at 168 pounds.

Neither Mbilli nor Pacheco are considered capable enough to upset Álvarez, but the relentless Mbilli’s all-action style would likely lead to a fan-friendly fight however long it lasted.

Álvarez also could pursue a rematch with Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) if the WBA light heavyweight champion defeats IBF/WBC/WBO champ Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) in their highly anticipated 175-pound title unification fight Oct. 12 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Russia’s Bivol beat Alvarez convincingly in their 12-round fight for Bivol’s belt in May 2022 at T-Mobile Arena, yet Alvarez and his handlers believe Bivol out-priced himself in negotiations for a rematch that never materialized.

A victory over Beterbiev obviously would intensify fan interest in a Bivol-Álvarez rematch. Bivol has repeatedly stated that he would drop down from light heavyweight to super middleweight to prove weight wasn’t the primary reason he out-boxed Álvarez and won a unanimous decision 28 months ago.

Of course, Álvarez could secure a much bigger payday than he’d earn for any of the aforementioned fights if he were to embrace what the icon considers a no-win situation with Terence Crawford.

Like Álvarez, Crawford is a four-weight world champion and has long been ranked among boxing’s top five fighters pound-for-pound. Crawford would need to move up two more weight classes, though, to challenge Álvarez for his super middleweight crowns.

Álvarez contends that he wouldn’t receive what he deems commensurate credit for defeating a generational talent like Crawford because Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) has fought only once above the welterweight maximum of 147 pounds. Crawford’s cautious strategy against Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) during his 154-pound debut — a 12-round, unanimous-decision win Aug. 3 in Los Angeles — suggested that jumping up two more divisions could be too tall of an order for the WBA super welterweight champion.

Crawford’s significant size disadvantage and its accompanying criticism are among the reasons Álvarez expects to be paid nine figures for a fascinating fight that has piqued the curiosity of most boxing fans.

Crawford should still be the most appealing option for Álvarez’s next fight if he doesn’t finally agree to box Benavidez. Though Crawford would be a decided underdog, Alvarez-Crawford would draw the type of mainstream media attention and generate the requisite revenue streams to consider it the biggest fight in boxing at the moment.

Álvarez’s acrimonious relationship with Turki Alalshikh, who has become the most influential figure in boxing over the past year, could prevent Álvarez-Crawford from becoming a reality. Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, attacked Alvarez on social media last month for his unwillingness to battle Benavidez.

Their insults notwithstanding, enormous sums of money make many people forgive, if not forget, and Alalshikh has gone on an unprecedented spending spree since late last summer. Álvarez already has earned more money than his children could spend during his celebrated career, but as he demonstrated Saturday night, he is a shrewd businessman almost as much as he is a prideful, ferocious fighter.

If Álvarez was willing to endure, and in many ways ignore, the scrutiny that came along with selecting an undeserving, unproven opponent in Berlanga, a comparable principle should apply to battling an unbeaten, ambitious, smaller fighter who sits atop plenty of pound-for-pound lists and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Frankly, Álvarez and Crawford need each other to make the biggest bout possible if they’re not going to face the opponents within their respective divisions that the paying public most wants them to fight.

Much to the dismay of fans who want Crawford to fight WBC interim super welterweight champ Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) or IBF welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs, 1 NC), Crawford unfortunately has stated that he isn’t interested in either of those intriguing challenges. Crawford will turn 37 on Sept. 28 and understands he, too, could eclipse nine figures for a mega-fight against Álvarez because Crawford is aligned with Alalshikh.

Crawford could also settle for fights with less dangerous 154-pound champions than Ortiz or even retire undefeated. The Omaha, Nebraska, native is instead intent on risking his “0” by facing a heavier, stronger, elite-level opponent in Álvarez.

Crawford’s critics have nonetheless lambasted him for chasing a payday, not greatness, in what is widely viewed as a no-lose situation for him. Whereas Álvarez has made some strange statements regarding why he won’t fight Benavidez, Crawford has been largely unapologetic about not wanting to test himself against younger, hungry legitimate threats.

However Álvarez and Crawford choose to explain these decisions during the back ends of their careers, if they’re not going to face the younger, top opponents in their respective divisions that fans most want them to fight, they seemingly need each other to do the biggest business possible.