Can Berlanga Bounce Back?

Trainer Stephen Edwards believes Edgar Berlanga faces a tough road back following his knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz.

Berlanga was stopped in the fifth round after taking a sustained beating from the undefeated Sheeraz. The loss meant Berlanga missed out on the WBC Interim Super Middleweight Belt, damaging his chances of securing the Canelo rematch. Edwards said the damage Berlanga absorbed was significant and that he may need to take up to a year off. While the loss is a setback, Berlanga has secured lucrative paydays from the Canelo and Sheeraz fights. There are also still fights out there for Berlanga if he can come back stronger, with the likes of Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo.

“The guy was too tough for him. It’s going to be tough to come back from this. That was a bad knockout. He probably won’t fight again this year. Just think about how he fell and how his body was reacting and how his head was snapping back,” Edwards said 

The Future

Berlanga’s reputation has suffered with plenty of backlash on social media. He had already faced criticism for his reaction to his Canelo loss. He was seen celebrating in Mexico, raising suggestions he was happy to go 12 rounds. Berlanga even called Canelo his idol in his post-fight comments, showing perhaps too much respect for his opponent. 

Berlanga will now also be the B-side moving forward. He may have to put on a run against a few-lower level contenders before he can justify taking bigger fights. The Jaime Munguia fight would have been perfect, but his recent failed test after the Bruno Surace rematch win has cast doubt over that match-up. 

Surace is also another option that could be justified. The Frenchman still has a knockout win over Berlanga, showing he is more than a credible name. However, the risk for Berlanga is that another loss puts him further down the pecking order. The silver lining is that Berlanga’s trash talk may be enough to ruffle a few feathers to secure a few more lucrative fights. However, if he wants a prolonged career, he cannot afford to take punishment like he did in the Sheeraz fight.