Promoter Eddie Hearn Says Edgar Berlanga might return in February for a battle in New York or his father’s residence nation of Puerto Rico. Hearn hinted at a tune-up for Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) to get him again to his profitable methods after shedding to unified tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez final Saturday.
Berlanga could produce other plans. In an interview final Saturday, he mentioned he desires to battle for the IBF tremendous middleweight title subsequent after which face Canelo for the undisputed championship subsequent yr.
IBF’s Rehydration Restrict
If Berlanga goes by way of with that plan, he’ll face the winner of the William Scull vs. Vladimir Shishkin battle for the IBF title.
The one impediment for Berlanga, 27, is the IBF’s 10-lb rehydration restrict. Berlanga reportedly rehydrated to 193 lbs final Saturday night time for his battle in opposition to Canelo.
If Berlanga needed to battle for the IBF belt, he would want to maintain his weight down in a single day after the weigh-in to be throughout the 10-lb restrict of 178 lbs. That’s clearly not going to work for Berlanga if he’s going to be rehydrating to the 190s. It will be very tough for Berlanga to make weight for the IBF’s secondary weigh-in on the morning of the battle.
Berlanga ought to overlook about making an attempt to win the IBF title as a result of if he might make weight for that battle, it doesn’t assure that he would win or that Canelo can be enthusiastic about a rematch. Hearn didn’t point out wanting Berlanga to battle for the IBF title.
Hearn’s plan seems to be centered on Berlanga taking a tune-up in February after which going through one in all these 4 names:
- Jaime Munguia
- Caleb Plant
- Jermall Charlo
- Diego Pacheco
Of these names, Berlanga would doubtless be extra enthusiastic about preventing Munguia as a result of he’s arguably extra in style than the others. Jermall was once a high fighter however has let his profession slide by being inactive.
Former IBF tremendous middleweight champion Caleb Plant has a poor document of 2-2 in his final 4 fights and appeared mediocre final Saturday night time, getting dropped and harm a number of instances in his battle in opposition to fringe contender Trevor McCumby.
“Come again, have a superb battle at 168, after which all of these names can be found: Munguia, Plant, Pacheco, Charlo.,” mentioned Hearn to IFLTV about his plans for Berlanga in 2025.
Berlanga Wants the Previous Components
If Hearn desires to get probably the most mileage out of Berlanga’s profession to rebuild him as a advertising product to become profitable, he shouldn’t match him in opposition to Pacheco, Charlo, Plant, or Munguia. Berlanga would doubtless lose to all 4 of these fighters, and the cash that he brings in for his fights would dry up in a single day.
Hearn ought to return to the system that obtained Berlanga this far by matching him in opposition to sublevel ham & eggers and ramp him up for an additional cash-out kind of battle. Even with Berlanga’s huge 190+ cruiserweight measurement, he would doubtless lose to the 4 fighters that Hearn desires to battle. Berlanga isn’t adequate to beat these sorts of fighters.
On condition that Berlanga appeared to lose each spherical of his battle in opposition to Canelo, staging his subsequent battle in Puerto Rico, as if he’s coming off a win, can be weird.
It will make extra sense for Berlanga to return residence to New York, the place he was born and raised, relatively than preventing in his guardian’s residence nation of Puerto Rico, treating his one-sided loss to Canelo like a faux victory. That will be bizarre.
