Promoter Eddie Hearn is placing a optimistic spin on Edgar Berlanga’s loss to Canelo Alvarez, suggesting that he’s now the second hottest fighter within the tremendous middleweight division following his “aggressive” defeat final Saturday night time in Las Vegas.
Hearn says Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) “pissed off” the unified tremendous middleweight champion Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) at instances together with his ring IQ. Canelo was pissed off, however for a distinct motive than Berlanga’s ring IQ. He was upset with the head-butting, low blows, rabbit punches, and unlawful straight arms Berlanga was utilizing.
It appeared that Berlanga was simply there to outlive all night time and didn’t battle onerous till the twelfth spherical. Within the different rounds, Berlanga appeared too afraid to throw his energy photographs for concern of being countered by Canelo once more. After Berlanga was knocked down in spherical three, he performed it protected, throwing primarily jabs.
Hearn and informal boxing followers have been celebrating Berlanga afterward simply because he bought knocked out, however they didn’t have the perception to see that he was simply attempting to outlive and wasn’t attempting to win. He was there to go 12 rounds.
The Matchroom promoter Hearn is attempting to color a false image that Berlanga had fought in a heroic manner, however that’s not the fact. He was much less spectacular than Canelo’s earlier opponent Jaime Munguia, who fought tougher and really received 4 rounds final Might. Munguia was extra brave.
“He by no means actually appeared out of his depth in there. We bought beat effectively by a legend, but it surely was at all times aggressive the rounds,” mentioned Eddie Hearn throughout the post-fight press convention, praising his fighter Edgar Berlanga after his loss to Canelo Alvarez.
It was solely aggressive as a result of Canelo didn’t have the scale or the gasoline tank to complete off Berlanga because of his large 6’1″, 193-lb body throughout the battle. If Canelo’s conditioning have been higher, he’d have knocked Berlanga out by the fourth spherical as a result of he was there to be stopped if he may put his punches collectively as a substitute of simply loading up with single photographs.
“To me, it was the containers he ticked. The impregnable chin. He took each shot within the artillery of Canelo Alvarez. The knockdown was an unbelievable left hook. It was sort of a flash knockdown. He was by no means actually harm throughout the complete battle,” mentioned Hearn.
Berlanga’s weight of 193 lbs is the explanation he may take Canelo’s punches. When a lightweight heavyweight takes on an excellent middleweight, they will stand up to their punches quite a bit higher than once they’re competing of their pure weight class.
Should you stick Berlanga in with mild heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, we’ll see how good his chin is. Clearly, Berlanga won’t ever battle Beterbiev as a result of his administration is simply too calculated to danger placing him in with somebody who would knock him out and lower off the spigot to the oil effectively that’s pumping in that black gold.
“Even when he bought dropped, he got here again, was firing again, and the folks liked it. His ring IQ, we knew was higher than folks anticipated, was good and pissed off Canelo Alvarez at instances,” mentioned Hearn.
Berlanga bought up from the third-round knockdown and simply took the punishment for the rest of the battle, enjoying it protected. He used numerous unlawful roughhouse ways that angered Canelo, which was why he was pissed off with him.
“As I instructed him earlier. He’s secured his total life [with millions] and his household’s life without end at such a younger age, and it’s just the start as a result of proper now, it’s important to say he’s the #1 title within the division exterior of Canelo Alvarez, and there are large fights on the market for him,” Hearn mentioned about Berlanga.
Berlanga is extra well-liked because of his fanbase in New York Metropolis than the opposite contenders within the 168-lb division, however he lacks far behind within the expertise division. Nevertheless, Berlanga isn’t actually a real tremendous middleweight. He’s a lightweight heavyweight that boils all the way down to 168 to compete in opposition to smaller fighters.
Berlanga is like one other David Benavidez sort of weight bully, however with much less expertise, extra of a self-promoter [Read: out of touch braggart], and has a shorter shelf-life. He must be protected greater than Benavidez.
“I virtually really feel like he’s a brand new signing as a result of we knew he was a giant star earlier than, however now, I really feel we’ve bought one of many greatest stars within the division. I believe the comeback path and the comeback plan goes to be actually enjoyable,” mentioned Hearn.
When Hearn says “comeback path,” that’s code for delicate opponents like those he’d been matched in opposition to to construct his 22-0 document to get him the Canelo payday. Hearn is promoting a faux product to the general public, attempting to make it look higher than it’s. Berlanga is the equal of fools gold, and solely the naive followers imagine he’s the real 24k gold actual factor.
Berlanga is just not a brand new star, and Hearn isn’t going to have the ability to rework him into a gradual cash driver, like an oil effectively that pumps black gold for a few years. With out defending Berlanga by matching him in opposition to delicate opposition that the followers received’t be excited to see, he’s going to lose if Hearn matches him in opposition to good opposition.
After I say, ‘Good,’ I’m not speaking about Caleb Plant, Diego Pacheco, Jaime Munguia, and Christian Mbilli. Berlanga will lose to these guys. If Hearn places Berlanga in with a high-caliber fighter like David Benavidez, David Morrell, or Osleys Inglesias, he’ll get knocked out.
