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 cause 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 struggle exhausting till the twelfth spherical. Within the different rounds, Berlanga appeared too afraid to throw his energy pictures for worry 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 obtained 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 truth. He was much less spectacular than Canelo’s earlier opponent Jaime Munguia, who fought tougher and truly received 4 rounds final Could. Munguia was extra brave.
“He by no means actually appeared out of his depth in there. We obtained beat properly by a legend, but it surely was all the time aggressive the rounds,” mentioned Eddie Hearn through 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 resulting from his large 6’1″, 193-lb body through the struggle. 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 an alternative of simply loading up with single pictures.
“To me, it was the bins he ticked. The impregnable chin. He took each shot within the artillery of Canelo Alvarez. The knockdown was an unbelievable left hook. It was form of a flash knockdown. He was by no means actually harm throughout your entire struggle,” mentioned Hearn.
Berlanga’s weight of 193 lbs is the rationale he may take Canelo’s punches. When a light-weight heavyweight takes on an excellent middleweight, they will face up to their punches loads higher than after they’re competing of their pure weight class.
If you happen to stick Berlanga in with gentle heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, we’ll see how good his chin is. Clearly, Berlanga won’t ever struggle Beterbiev as a result of his administration is just too calculated to threat placing him in with somebody who would knock him out and lower off the spigot to the oil properly that’s pumping in that black gold.
“Even when he obtained dropped, he got here again, was firing again, and the folks beloved it. His ring IQ, we knew was higher than folks anticipated, was good and pissed off Canelo Alvarez at instances,” mentioned Hearn.
Berlanga obtained up from the third-round knockdown and simply took the punishment for the rest of the struggle, taking part in it protected. He used a variety of unlawful roughhouse techniques that angered Canelo, which was why he was pissed off with him.
“As I advised him earlier. He’s secured his complete life [with millions] and his household’s life endlessly at such a younger age, and it’s only the start as a result of proper now, you must say he’s the #1 identify within the division outdoors of Canelo Alvarez, and there are large fights on the market for him,” Hearn mentioned about Berlanga.
Berlanga is extra well-liked resulting from 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 light-weight 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 an enormous star earlier than, however now, I really feel we’ve obtained one of many largest stars within the division. I feel the comeback path and the comeback plan goes to be actually enjoyable,” mentioned Hearn.
When Hearn says “comeback path,” that’s code for smooth opponents like those he’d been matched in opposition to to construct his 22-0 report 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 isn’t a brand new star, and Hearn isn’t going to have the ability to remodel him into a gentle cash driver, like an oil properly that pumps black gold for a few years. With out defending Berlanga by matching him in opposition to smooth 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.
