Eddie Hearn has gained the lottery, signing unbeaten super middleweight phenom Edgar Berlanga (20-, 26 KOs) to a multi-battle offer with Matchroom Boxing. Berlanga will now be battling on DAZN right after owning previously had his fights for Best Rank on ESPN.
Berlanga will make his debut for Matchroom this summertime from a even now-to-be-decided opponent. Edgar has made it apparent that he desires to combat Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan in his to start with battle for Hearn. We’ll see if Hearn grants Berlanga his wish.
Hearn may want a better opponent than the 38-year-aged second-tier middleweight O’Sullivan for Berlanga for the reason that that fight will not carry in extra than a small trickle of new subscribers to DAZN.
Berlanga requires to encounter someone that the hardcore boxing lovers respect and are intrigued in seeing for his 1st combat with Hearn to draw in new subscribers to DAZN.
It is understandable why Hearn signed the well-known Berlanga, contemplating he’s been promoting out the Hula Theater at Madison Square Backyard in New York.
Berlanga will continue on to provide in huge crowds beneath Hearn’s helm as extensive as he doesn’t mess up the gravy coach by throwing him in with an individual a very little as well superior correct off the bat, like David Benavidez, Diego Pacheco, or David Morrell. Though Berlanga has ambition, he’s not completely ready for people killers nevertheless.
This is a move by Hearn to bit by bit construct the 25-calendar year-previous New York native Berlanga to a mega-combat in opposition to Canelo Alvarez. If all the things goes very well for Berlanga, he could confront Canelo as early as future calendar year.
Much will depend on how Berlanga seems to be in his 1st two fights of his multi-fight contract with Matchroom. If he shines, his third will be versus Canelo, probably on DAZN PPV in 2023.
In the to start with 16 fights of his occupation, Berlanga recorded a string of very first spherical knockouts from 2016 to 2020.
Recently, nevertheless, Berlanga has hit a dry patch, failing to rating stoppages in his previous 4 fights following his previous promoters at Major Rank stepped him up a level against fringe contenders at 168.
Hearn will need to continue the improvement of Berlanga to get him to make ample enhancements to in which he won’t embarrass himself, Matchroom, and DAZN when he’s ultimately place in with Canelo Alvarez next yr or 2024.
At this place, Berlanga is still a job that requirements appreciable grooming ahead of getting matched versus the elite-stage competitors. But, of training course, it is dependent on what Hearn’s overall ambitions are for signing Berlanga.
If it is to make quick funds, he can reach that goal by matching him against a pair of journeymen prior to tossing him in with Canelo.
Berlanga experienced a variation of belief with Top Rank about the way that they required to maintain him going at a slow job tempo, as he felt he was ready to be stepped up from leading five levels of competition at 168. He desired WBO interim tremendous middleweight champion John Ryder, whilst Major Rank desired that Berlanga deal with Jesse Hart.
“I’m excited to start out my new journey with the most effective promoter in the entire world, the legend Eddie Hearn,” said Berlanga. “I’m hunting to make my legacy in the activity of boxing.
“I’m hunting for the large fights, and I know signing with Matchroom was the right preference to get me to exactly where I want to go. I will devote myself to turning out to be the most effective 168-pounder in the entire world. My main objective is to land the Canelo fight and renew the best rivalry in boxing – Mexico vs. Puerto Rico.”
Very well, at minimum Berlanga is open up about his principal need to confront Canelo, but it would be improved if he had extra lofty targets than just finding the combat towards the Mexican star. Berlanga will have to confirm himself capable of competing in opposition to Canelo and successful a entire world title.
Berlanga’s latest fights have shown that he’s a extensive way off from remaining completely ready to combat towards a expertise like Canelo. In Berlanga’s final 4 fights, he’s overwhelmed Roamer Alexis Angulo, Steve Rolls, Marcelo Esteban Coceres, and Demond Nicolson.
