Promoter Eddie Hearn has put a positive spin on Edgar Berlanga’s loss to Canelo Alvarez, suggesting he is now the second most popular super middleweight contender following his “even” defeat last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Hearn says Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) was “frustrating” unified super middleweight champion Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) with his ring IQ. Canelo was frustrated, but for a different reason than Berlanga’s ring IQ. He was upset by the headbutts, low blows, rabbit punches and illegal straight hands Berlanga was using.
Berlanga seemed to be there just to get through the night and didn’t fight until the 12th round. In the remaining rounds, Berlanga seemed too scared to throw his power punches, fearing he would be countered by Canelo again. After Berlanga was knocked down in the third round, he played it protected, landing mostly jabs.
Hearn and the regular boxing fans celebrated Berlanga afterwards just because he got knocked out, but they didn’t have the insight to see that he was just trying to survive, not win. He was there to fight 12 rounds.
Matchroom promoter Hearn tries to create a false image that Berlanga fought heroically, but that is not true. He was less impressive than Canelo’s previous opponent, Jaime Munguia, who fought harder and won four rounds in May. Munguia was braver.
“He never looked like he was underperforming there. We got beat by a legend, but the rounds were always close,” Eddie Hearn said during press conference after the fightpraising his fighter Edgar Berlanga after his loss to Canelo Alvarez.
The fight was only close because Canelo didn’t have the size or gas tank to finish Berlanga due to his massive 6’1″, 193-pound frame going into the fight. If Canelo’s conditioning had been better, he would have knocked Berlanga out in the fourth round because he was there to stop him if only he could connect instead of just loading up on singles.
“For me, those were the boxes he ticked. The invincible chin. He took every punch from Canelo Alvarez’s artillery. The knockdown was an incredible left hook. It was such a lightning-fast knockdown. He wasn’t really hurt the whole fight,” Hearn said.
Berlanga’s 193-pound weight is the reason he could take Canelo’s punches. When a lithe heavyweight faces a super middleweight, they can withstand punches a lot better than when they’re competing in their natural weight class.
If you put Berlanga with lithe heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, we’ll see how good his chin is. Of course, Berlanga will never fight Beterbiev because his management is too calculating to risk putting him with someone who would knock him out and cut off the spigot of the oil well that pumps that black gold.
“Even when he got dropped, he came back, he threw punches and people loved it. His ring IQ, we knew, was better than people expected, he was good and he frustrated Canelo Alvarez at times,” Hearn said.
Berlanga got back up from a third-round knockdown and just took the punishment for the rest of the fight, playing it protected. He used a lot of illegal, brutal tactics that enraged Canelo, so he was frustrated with him.
“Like I told him before. He secured his whole life [with millions] and his family’s life forever at such a juvenile age, and that’s just the beginning because right now you have to say he’s number one in the division, outside of Canelo Alvarez, and there are huge fights for him,” Hearn said of Berlanga.
Berlanga is more popular because of his fan base in Modern York than other contenders in the 168-pound division, but he is far from a talent. However, Berlanga is not a true super middleweight. He is a lithe heavyweight who comes down to 168 pounds to compete with smaller fighters.
Berlanga is another David Benavidez type who likes to lose weight, but he’s less about talent and more about self-promotion [Read: out of touch braggart]and has a shorter shelf life. Needs more protection than Benavidez.
“I almost feel like he’s a modern signing because we knew he was a huge star before, but now I feel like we have one of the biggest stars in the division. I think the comeback trail and the comeback plan is going to be really frigid,” Hearn said.
When Hearn says “comeback trail” it’s code for feeble opponents like the ones he was matched up against to build his 22-0 record in order to earn Canelo a payday. Hearn is selling a phony product to the public, trying to make himself look better than he is. Berlanga is the equivalent of fool’s gold and only naive fans believe he is real 24k gold.
Berlanga is not a modern star, and Hearn will not be able to turn him into a steady money maker, like an oil well that pumps out black gold for years. Without protecting Berlanga by matching him with pliable opposition that fans will not get excited about, he will lose if Hearn matches him with good opposition.
When I say “Good”, I don’t mean Caleb Plant, Diego Pacheco, Jaime Munguia and Christian Mbilla. Berlanga will lose to those guys. If Hearn puts Berlanga in a fight with a high-caliber fighter like David Benavidez, David Morrell or Osleys Inglesias, he’ll get knocked out.
Sylvester Stallone faced backlash for believing that Mike Tyson delivered an Oscar-worthy performance in his November 15 comeback fight.
According to Hollywood icon and star Rocky Stallone, a longtime friend of Tyson’s, “The Baddest Man on the Planet” spared Jake Paul’s life in Texas. According to Stallone, Tyson did not give up and could have knocked out the YouTuber whenever he felt like it.
Stallone said: “I want to tidy up my personal record. Business is business. Sometimes you have to do something complex and make sacrifices to assist your family.
“I have known this incredible athlete since he was 19 years elderly, and we saw him deliver one of the greatest Oscar-winning performances of all time!
“Please, Jake, be grateful. He spared your life, trust me.
“Keep fighting Mike. There will never be a man like you, a gladiator like you, and a soul like you. Keep fighting, champion of champions!
“I remember running into him once and thinking I had been hit by a runaway bulldozer.”
Paul took it upon himself to deliver a brutal response to one of the most beloved boxing Hall of Famers ever involved in the sport.
“As a child, I always admired you, but now you are spreading lies against my name. Gloomy to see you fall. Maybe it’s all because of the plastic surgery,” the former Disney child actor fumed.
Responses to Paul’s statement regarding Stallone’s comments were largely one-sided, as followers supported the actor to the extreme.
One stated: “Everyone saw Mike scare you in the first round and that’s what happened [s***ting] This. Then you hugged him and said some stupid thing in his ear. Suddenly Mike stops, punches the air, moves slower, and bites his gloves.
“You had your gloves down and you were ready to take it in the first and second round. You didn’t protect your face and Mike just left it. Most know the truth.
Another added: “My cousin Richie Giachetti trained Mike for about ten years!! Sly is 1000% right!”
Criticizing another boxing legend for beating one of their own in the ring after getting him to fight at the age of 58 is a mistake on the influencer’s part and will not be helpful to Paul’s continued presence in squaring the circle.
Stallone enjoys pride as a sports god, and Paul could learn a lot about being respected as he continues to face adversity following his lackluster career efforts.
The gold rush will continue in 2025 for the Eye of the Tiger and its athletes. To start the year off right, Olympian and NABF Super Lightweight Champion Arthur “The Wolf” Biyarslanov will face the biggest test of his career against French fighter Mohamed “The Problem” Mimoune on February 6 at the Cabaret of the Montreal Casino.
The event will also be broadcast – starting at 6:30 p.m. – on Punchinggrace.com and ESPN+.
“I repeat, Arthur will not reject any opponent! Mimoune is a brave boxer who never backs down from a challenge. He is an athletic southerner whose boxing style is based on speed and reflexes. This is a very good challenge for Arthur, but we expect that 2025 will be an significant year for him and he will have to start powerful,” commented EOTTM’s coach, Samuel Décarie-Drolet.
Arthur Biyarslanov (17-0, 14 KO) had a spectacular debut in EOTTM in 2024. After his first victory in March, the Rio Olympian won the NABF super lightweight title in June. In September and October, he successfully defended his title for the first and second time, reaching the top twenty of the WBC world rankings.
For Mohamed Mimoune (24-6, 5 KO) this will be an excellent opportunity to return to the top. A former IBO world champion, he also won the French and European championships. In fact, 5 of his 24 wins came against undefeated boxers, including several away from home, whether in the UK, Spain or the US. Always competitive, he was never stopped, even against elite boxers such as former world champion Viktor Postol and former EOTTM protégé Batyr Jukembayev. In brief, this is a tough challenge that Biyarslanov must overcome in order to rise to the top.
In every sense of the word, the second main event will feature an impressive matchup. In the fight presented in cooperation with Top Rank, two-time Olympic super heavyweight champion Bakhodir Jalolov (14-0, 14 KO) will enter the ring for the first time since his triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris. His opponent will be French champion David Spilmont (16-8-1, 11 KO).
“I am very excited about the next chapter in my professional career. Now that I have represented my country at the 2024 Olympics, I plan to continue my quest to become heavyweight champion in 2025. And for me, this adventure will resume on February 6 in Montreal,” commented Bakhodir Jalolov, two-time gold medalist from Uzbekistan.
There will be another high-profile fight on the card. WBA international delicate heavyweight champion Albert Ramirez (19-0, 16 KO) will return to Quebec against an opponent to be announced soon. Let us recall that in August last year, the EOTTM protégé crushed former world title contender Adam Deines in Venezuela. After this triumph, Ramirez is one step away from fighting for the world title, which is 4th in the IBF rankings, 3rd in the WBC and 2nd in the WBA and WBO rankings.
“We have high hopes for Biyarslanov and Ramirez in 2025. In my opinion, they are maybe one or two wins away from the biggest fights. In February, we plan to start the year well to finish it on top,” said EOTTM president Camille Estephan, emphasizing that many of his boxers were ready for a higher level of opposition in 2025.
EOTTM’s rising stars will also fight on February 6, with Avery Martin Duval (12-0-1, 7 KO), Wilkens Mathieu (12-0, 8 KO) and Moreno Fendero (8-0, 6 KO) taking part in the scheduled 8 -round fights.
Tickets for the Gold Rush event on February 6 at the Cabaret of the Montreal Casino are on sale now at Ticketmaster.ca.
This past Saturday at The Paramount, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing Rockin’ Fights 49 provided an action-packed and hard-fought night of fights.
The sold-out show was filled with fans and non-stop invigorating boxing. Star Boxing has once again continued its practice of delivering the best and most consistent boxing series in Modern York, and fans of #49 are already lining up for tickets to Rockin’ Fights 50 in 2025.
RESULTS:
Wendy “The Haitian Fire” Touissant (currently 16-3-0, 7 KOs) returned to winning ways and did not disappoint in her return to The Paramount on Saturday night. Touissant, a Huntington hometown favorite, continued to display the talent and athleticism that make him an intriguing up-and-coming contender in the boxing world. Touissant maintained his balance throughout the distance, relying on his patient game plan to deal with capable Argentine challenger Brian “El Capitan” Arregui (currently 10-5-0, 7 KOs). Touissant’s training paid off as he was able to secure a majority decision victory. The results were: 80-72 – Tony Paolillo; 79-73 by Steve Weisfeld and a shocking 76-76 by Kevin Morgan.
In a special fight, 22-year-old Italian-American prospect and Star Boxing’s newest fighter, Micky Scala (currently 11-0-0 6 KOs), showed talent and tenacity, remaining undefeated in his Rockin’ Fights debut. During the competition, Scala relied on his reach and quick combinations to score points throughout the fight, ultimately earning a unanimous decision victory (60-54, 59-55, 60-54) over Luis “Conrazon De Oro” Caraballo Ramos of Puerto Rico. (currently 7-6-1 7 KOs).
David “King David” Malul (currently 2-0, 2KO) once again excited and mesmerized The Paramount crowd in his second professional fight. Malul gave the raucous crowd another unforgettable moment when he uncorked three devastatingly powerful punches to the head of his opponent, Zachary “Mr. Sippi Babi” Davis by knockout in the third round.
After a hard-fought and close fight, Harley “Ponderous Hands” Burke (currently 9-0-0, 7 KO) defeated Tevin Terrance in a very close unanimous decision (58-55, 58-55, 57-56). they remain undefeated. After knocking Burke down early in the first round with Terrance’s acclaimed left hook, Burke settled in and the rest of the fight was an invigorating and close contest. Both combatants traded blows throughout the fight and neither seemed to gain the advantage. Ultimately, the judges ruled in Burke’s favor, keeping the Irishman’s perfect record intact.
Albanian pride soared when John “The Warrior” Gjini (now 13-0-0, 12 KO) dissected his opponent, Luis Porozo (now 18-12-0, 9 KO), with a dominant TKO victory. Porozo entered the fight as a much more experienced fighter, having had 29 career fights to Gjini’s 12. Porozo won the first round, but then it was Gjini as his quick hands and speed broke the tough Ecuadorian. Gjini secured a fourth-round referee stoppage and TKO victory.
The first fight on the card was a close contest between Long Island native Frank “Magic” Monaco (currently 2-0-1) and Victor “El Patron” Pradis (currently 2-2-1). The fight started in the evening with a good fight. Monaco and Pradis fought in close quarters, with neither player giving the other much room to breathe. Pradis seemed determined to attack Monaco’s body throughout the fight, while Monaco remained on alert, waiting for his opportunities. In the final drawing decision, the judges awarded the match a draw (38-38, 39-37, 37-39).
Fans can watch the entire fight card on-demand on StarBoxing.TV. Additionally, the show will air on the YES Network on dates to be announced by Star Boxing later this week.
Next Event: February 14, Rockin’ Fights 50, The Paramount NY in Huntington, Modern York
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