Boxing
Edgar Berlanga rejects David Morrell’s criticism and promises not to fight him
Published
6 months agoon
Edgar Berlanga has responded strongly to David Morrell’s criticism of Canelo Álvarez for choosing him as his opponent in their September 14 title fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
(Source: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
Berlanga’s refusal to fight Morrell
Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) says he will never give Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) a chance to fight him because he only uses his name for “strength” and can’t sell himself. According to Berlanga, Morrell is a “nobody.”
Berlanga had already opted not to fight Morrell earlier this year when it became the WBA mandatory for his super middleweight title. Berlanga seemed to avoid Morrell long before he was paid to fight Canelo Alvarez.
After Berlanga defeated Padraig McCrory in a WBA title eliminator on February 24, he opted not to fight Morrell for his WBA “regular” 168-pound title.
Instead, Berlanga sat and waited for his promoter, Eddie Hearn, to provide him with the “bag” for his fight with super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, which he had just handed him.
Morrell’s latest achievement
Morrell became a two-division world champion by defeating Radivoje Kalajdzic by unanimous decision after twelve rounds to win the WBA regular featherlight heavyweight title last Saturday night at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Berlanga, 27, is a year older than Morrell, 26, and has never won a world title. His 15 minutes of fame because Canelo’s opponent on September 14 could end up losing in that fight. Despite a 22-0 record, Berlanga’s career lags behind Morrell’s, as he’s only fought faint opponents to build his resume.
If Berlanga gets wiped out by Canelo, which most fans believe is likely, he won’t get another chance. Canelo gave Berlanga a shot at the title without having to beat anyone to get it, as his best wins came against little-knowns like Padraig McCrory, Jason Quigley, Marcelo Caceres and Roamer Alexis Angulo.
Irish boxer McCrory, 36, was highly ranked by the WBA but was an unknown and had never beaten anyone significant in his career. He was just some random guy who was highly ranked by the WBA for some unknown reason.
“Who is Morrell? He’s a no-seller, he’s a nobody, and he’s just another guy looking for clout,” Edgar Berlanga told OnlyKayla Youtube channel, reacting to the news that David Morrell had nothing good to say about him when asked about his opinion on Canelo Alvarez defending his unified super middleweight titles against the Modern Yorker.
Berlanga doesn’t sell either. He’s popular with his fans in Modern York, but he’s not a national star in the U.S. or a PPV attraction. He doesn’t sell, and if he did, his fights would always be on PPV. The Berlanga-Canelo fight will be on PBC on Prime Video and DAZN PPV, but not because of him. All of Canelo’s fights are on PPV.
It will be compelling to see if Berlanga ever gets another shot at another world title in his career if he loses to Canelo, because fighters have to earn their mandatory spots by beating a good challenger. In Berlanga’s case, he was fighting a faint older fighter, McCrory, who looked like a British domestic fighter, not a challenger. It was the perfect situation for Berlanga.
Berlanga’s accusations against Morrell
“He was drunk. He was on cocaine. He was high, and I came in the ring and he was dead drunk and acting like an idiot,” Berlanga said of Morrell. “He’s a good fighter, but he’s a wimp.”
Berlanga has no evidence that Morrell was high or drunk. It’s just his comment, he doesn’t say when.
“I don’t pay attention to him. He’s a loser. He won’t get a chance at all,” Berlanga said when asked if he would never agree to fight him.
It doesn’t matter that Berlanga will never fight Morrell, as they fight in different weight classes, and his career will likely take a downward turn after the fight with Canelo on September 14.
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Boxing
BrianNorman Jr. prepares his father for a shocking comeback after 14 years
Published
17 hours agoon
January 23, 2025Undefeated twenty-four-year-old welterweight world champion Brian Norman Jr. he has been coached by his father, Brian Norman Sr., since he was seven years elderly. They changed course and Junior is now training Senior for his February 15 boxing match against Greg Hackett in Atlanta, Georgia.
The long-running feud between Brian Sr. and Hackett came to a head in November when the two participated on Coach Malachi’s Tru Media podcast. Things got heated when Norman told Hackett, “As an opponent, you were getting $400 to basically lose. You lose for a living.
Shortly thereafter, it was decided that they would lace them up and settle them in the ring. The event will be broadcast live on BLK Prime PPV.
Norman (17-11, 5 KO) from Atlanta and Greg Hackett (3-23) from Philadelphia will decide the result in a six-round lightweight heavyweight fight.
“I’m trained by a world champion who I trained to become that world champion,” Brian Sr. said. “He has the knowledge that I gave him. Now he can see this vision of what he is telling me, which is the same thing I was telling him. At the same time, he can visualize himself through me, observing how I respond to instructions. Ultimately, he helps himself as much, if not more, than he helps me.”
So, Junior, you’re getting him back after everything Dad’s been through all these years?
“Has it been a wonderful journey so far,” Brian Norman Jr. said. “I see a lot of similarities between me and him, mainly the drive for self-determination and the desire. It was a wonderful experience to witness. There were a few times when Dad got tired and wanted to stop and I shouted “no, two more rounds.” I have to push him, you know? We don’t like to lose – we’re both very competitive and I see that in him all day long.
“I like the way this fight turned out and it’s good for boxing,” Hackett said. “There’s no animosity here, but I’m going to hate him for eighteen minutes of our fight. There are many people who say they don’t want to go there, but we will go there. I’ve been training since the day it happened. It’s going to be a good fight. I think he’ll push it because he’s a bigger guy, but skill-wise I’m the better player. I just have to be prepared for whatever he brings to the table and make him pay for his mistakes. I will win this fight, whether by knockout or decision. I will win this fight.”
Boxing
Deontay Wilder: Warning against throwing in the towel on the fat suit myth
Published
1 day agoon
January 22, 2025Deontay Wilder is preparing to return to boxing this year and will face an opponent who has lost eleven times in Curtis Harper.
Wilder is on a losing streak, winning just once in his last five fights. The first of these four defeats remains a huge bone of contention. Wilder exploded with emotion after a one-sided rematch in February 2020 at the MGM Grand.
The “Brown Bomber” blamed everyone but himself for what happened when Fury beat him and put him through seven painful rounds. WBN witnessed the fight in the smoke-filled Garden Arena. Despite the sight, it was clear that Fury was the much better fighter that night.
Fury brought Steward SugarHill into his corner to make him more aggressive. The tactic paid off brilliantly as he regained the world heavyweight title. However, this was not what became the story of the event. Unfortunately, Deontay Wilder took that away from the “Gypsy King” with his post-fight accusations.
Wilder’s main target under his deal was Mark Breland. His longtime coach threw in the towel when the Tuscaloosa player came under massive fire and stared at his feet. But that’s not where Breland went wrong. Wilder’s problem was that the 1984 Olympic gold medalist ignored his previous instructions and never used a towel to end one of his fights.
That’s why Wilder was so irate, as he later told Brian Custer in “The Last Stand.”
“I have been preaching for five years. Never give up on Deontay Wilder,” said the former WBC champion.
The 36-year-old believed he could detonate on Fury at any time due to his one-punch KO skills.
“Deontay Wilder is never out until this is all over, because of my heart, my will and the strength I have. And yes, I really feel like he was part of it and it’s not my place to explain that to anyone. I said my peace and let out my emotions. I said it. People can believe what they want.”
Another story that got out of hand was the massive suit excuse. Wilder pointed out that he only mentioned something behind the scenes and someone in the media blew it up.
“They actually overheard something in the locker room,” Wilder explained. “I’m not justifying the costume. The costume was a bit massive. But it wasn’t enough to make me feel the way I felt in the ring. It wasn’t enough that I had no legs.
Strangely, however, Wilder blamed this part on someone who potentially gave him a demanding time. He will strive to ensure that the decision never falls on Malik Scott, who replaced Breland as coach.
Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
1 week agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
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