Edgar Berlanga believes he will be able to show more in his fight with Canelo Alvarez in September than any other fighter the Mexican star has fought.
Berlanga (22-0, 17KOs) isn’t lacking in confidence like many East Coast fighters. Fans see this as a ailing mismatch for Canelo and are concerned he’ll take on the unproven WBA fighter.
Heated-up fight
Canelo has yet to confirm that his next fight will be against the 27-year-old Berlanga, but it is believed to be his last fight before a clash with Terence Crawford in the first half of 2025.
Berlanga is a good warm-up because it gives Canelo a chance to take a break from fighting good opponents, allowing him to pick up an effortless win before the Crawford fight.
What’s compelling about Berlanga is how confident he is for someone who has spent his entire career being compared to tomato cans by promoters at Top Rank, a tradition that continued when Matchroom signed the Novel Yorker.
Puerto Rico vs. Mexico Narrative
“He knows I’m going to get that bag and we’re going to beat him,” said Edgar Berlanga Cigar Conversation about his belief that he will beat Canelo Alvarez in September.
Hopefully this fight will be more than just a “winner” for Berlanga, because fans won’t be thrilled at the prospect of paying to watch a lopsided fight if he can’t at least make it compelling.
Berlanga did not perform well in fights against Roamer Alexis Angulo, Marcelo Conceres, Steve Rolls, Jason Quigley and Demond Nicholson.
Although Berlanga claims Padraig McCrory was his best opponent, it is demanding to take the 36-year-old Irish fighter seriously as he has no name on his resume and when they fought in February last year he did not resemble a world-class fighter.
“It’s a legacy for me. It’s Puerto Rico versus Mexico. Everyone keeps talking about that fight. I feel like I need to take a break,” Berlanga said. “I feel like it’s time for me to get to that level,” Berlanga said when asked about his win over Canelo.
Edgar feels he needs to “chill out” to have a chance at beating Canelo. Just saying.
A fighter either has that trait or he doesn’t. You don’t just become crazy and fearless in the ring if you haven’t been that way your entire career. Fighting Canelo recklessly is not wise for Berlanga because his defense is already feeble and his jaw is less than iron.
“I know he [Canelo] I’ve fought great fighters and all, but I feel like this is something different. I’m going to bring something different to the game,” Berlanga said.
This is a step back for Canelo compared to his last fight with Jaime Munguia. He is a much better fighter than Berlanga, but again, this is a warm-up for the Mexican star. It would be better for Berlanga to fight Munguia or Morrell to prove he is worthy of fighting Canelo, not Padraig McCrory.
“I’m rising with the competition. My IQ is through the roof. I knew in my last fight that someone was coming,” Berlanga said of his victory over little-known 36-year-old Irish fighter Padraig McCrory last February. “I knew he had the power to knock out [50% KO rate].
“I knew he was [McCrory] was the toughest fighter on my resume. So I was already in shape. I knew what kind of knockout I needed to secure a spot in the ring with Canelo, and I did it,” Berlanga said.
Berlanga hasn’t raised his game yet, so his comment about him raising his game and IQ when he faces better opponents is irrelevant. If he fought Morrell, you could tell whether he raised his game or not.
Berlanga’s win over McCrory made him the mandatory for then-WBA 168-pound “regular” champion David Morrell, but Edgar turned down the fight for obvious reasons, opting to wait until Canelo gave him a title shot. Cuban talent Morrell would be a nightmare for Berlanga.
“It will be a completely different fight, [Canelo]”I’ve got Puerto Ricans, I’ve got Russians, I’ve got Chinese, I’ve got whites. I’ve got everybody. I’m not just with the Latino community. Of course, it’s boxing, so they’re going to put Puerto Rico versus Mexico,” Berlanga said.
Hopefully Berlanga will attract a lot of fans to his fight with Canelo if he wins it. It’s demanding to believe Berlanga has a huge fan base in Novel York when he hasn’t fought any groundbreaking opponents yet.
“I’m a substantial attraction. I know a lot of people love knockouts, and that’s what I give,” Berlanga said.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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