Canelo vs Berlanga Feature: Edgar Berlanga ‘In Focus’

Berlanga’s Early Pro Wins Caught The Eye

Berlanga turned pro in April 2016; between then and December of 2020, he built a 16-0 record. There’s nothing unusual in that, especially considering Berlanga’s good schooling in the sport and success in the amateur ranks.

What did stand out was Berlanga’s 16 wins that all came by way of first round knockouts. At this stage, there was quite a bit of hype surrounding Berlanga, but was it justified? Was the young fighter who won the 2012 Junior Olympic National Championships and represented the United States Junior National Team as an amateur the next boxing phenom, or was he being matched too easily and not learning much in the early portion of his pro campaign?

It’s not easy to definitively answer that. During this run, Berlanga was dispatching the opponents he was matched with, showcasing his power and building confidence. He fought without fear, just relentlessly walking down opponents and throwing power shots constantly. The negative part was that he wasn’t getting rounds under his belt, honing his boxing fundamentals for the pro-style or banking experiences that would help him when the going got tough. Not every fight can be won via early knockout.

The KO Streak Ends; Hype Train Is Slowed

In April 2021, Berlanga was extended beyond the first round for the first time in his pro campaign. Demond Nicholson actually heard the final bell of the eight-round contest, which Berlanga won convincingly on the cards. Berlanga had five contests since the Nicholson fight – all wins but he has only managed to find a stoppage in one of those bouts.

Following on from Nicholson, Marcelo Coceres, Steve Rolls, Roamer Alexis Angulo, and Jason Quigley all went the distance with Berlanga between October 2021 and June 2023. While these fighters are all a notch above Berlanga’s early opponents, observers were disappointed by aspects of Berlanga’s performances against them all. Coceres had Berlanga on the canvas, raising questions about his concentration and defense while Rolls fought to survive, which had critics asking if Berlanga had the nous to break down an overly negative opponent.

Angulo presented a roughhouse style, which caused Berlanga to boil over and attempt to bite his opponent in the seventh round. That transgression led to a six-month ban by the New York State Athletic Commission. Boxing-wise, it was a reasonable showing from Berlanga. He got behind his jab but couldn’t land enough power punches to even get close to stopping Angulo. Berlanga and his fans had to settle for another points win. Exactly one year later, Berlanga returned to the ring against Quigley. He had to settle for another decision win despite having Quigley down on four occasions in the contest. While there were positives for Berlanga, the main takeaway from this fight was a failure to close the show.

Finally, Getting Back To Knockout Business And Boxing Style

The stoppage didn’t arrive against Quigley but Berlanga did stop his next opponent. This was in his last outing in February of this year. Undefeated Irishman Padraig McCrory was his opponent; unfortunately for McCrory, Berlanga wouldn’t be denied a stoppage win on the night. Berlanga’s right couldn’t miss against a fairly stationary opponent, and the bout was halted in the sixth round. Berlanga’s knockout drought was over. He called Canelo out after the bout – his call was answered.

Based on what we have seen from Berlanga so far, can he trouble Canelo? Some of the intangibles are in his favor. Berlanga stands 6’1 and has a 73-inch reach. This is compared to Canelo at 5’7 and with a 70-inch reach. Berlanga also has youth on his side and will be determined to maintain his unbeaten record. The run of decision wins may have removed some of the shine from Berlanga, but for portions of those fights, we saw a fighter who knew how to box behind his jab. He needs to do this consistently against Canelo to have a chance. If he regresses to the fighter in love with his powerful right hand, he will definitely lose.

Being stuck between styles could be Berlanga’s biggest issue heading into September 14. In his mind, is he an out-and-out power puncher, or is he a boxer? Serving up a bit of both to Canelo would stand him in good stead. Berlanga should fight at a high tempo against the Mexican and not indulge in long periods of inactivity during rounds, as we have seen from him in the past. In order to avoid this, he needs to have a clear game plan and stick to it. The plan should involve a high work rate, boxing behind his jab to utilize his reach advantage, thus controlling the distance and opening up his power game at the appropriate moments. Easier said than done, but the heavy underdog will need to bring this all together on fight night to stand a chance of beating Canelo.

One Last Thing…

During his pro campaign, Berlanga changed coaches a few times. Before the Quigley bout, he reunited with Mark Farrait, the trainer he worked with during his early pro days. Farrait has gotten Berlanga back to being the dangerous fighter he was in his early professional bouts. Will the partnership assemble and execute a winning plan against the king at super middleweight? We will find out on September 14, but one thing is true – Berlanga stands a better chance of pulling off the upset with Farrait in his corner than he would without him.

Berlanga has been specifically chosen by Canelo so that the Mexican can end his own knockout drought. It’s a long shot, but maybe Berlanga will shock the world and make Canelo regret his decision.