Edgar Berlanga’s Comeback Fight Raises Questions

Edgar Berlanga sees himself as more popular than ever, believing he can get big fights because his fame extends far and wide, even beyond what his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, can secure for him. ‘The Chosen One’ is coming off a fight against boxing’s biggest star, Canelo Alvarez, where he endured a lopsided defeat.

After being knocked down in the third round and dominated throughout, Berlanga’s biggest takeaway from the fight is that he managed to go the distance with the unified super-middleweight champion. Now, he is set to face Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz, a fighter who once took an 11-year hiatus from boxing. And for the first time in years, Berlanga won’t even be headlining the event.

Eddie Hearn revealed that Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) specifically requested a “comeback fight” that wouldn’t be a main event, anticipating the possibility of a loss to Canelo Alvarez last September. This decision complicated things for Hearn and DAZN, as it would have been much easier if Berlanga had agreed to face a high-level opponent next.

Had Berlanga asked for the best available contender, a fight against Caleb Plant would have been ideal for DAZN. Other potential headline-worthy matchups included Osleys Iglesias, David Morrell, Christian Mbilli, and Diego Pacheco. However, the issue with those fighters is that Berlanga would likely suffer decisive losses against all of them.

Main event fights should ideally be competitive, and facing a lower-tier opponent doesn’t generate enough interest for networks. Berlanga is reportedly frustrated about not headlining, but that could have been avoided had he been willing to take on one of the top contenders.

Plant-Berlanga would attract viewers and be ideal for the streaming network. But for Edgar to want a non-headliner-level fighter, what did he expect DAZN and Hearn to do?

“When he fought Canelo Alvarez, he wanted a comeback fight, and the comeback fight wasn’t like a headline event,” said promoter Eddie Hearn in media reports about what Edgar Berlanga asked for on his contract before his fight with Canelo Alvarez last year on September 14th, wanting an easy match if he were to lose to the Mexican star. “‘If I get beat, I want a chance for a quick win and then go into a big fight.'”

Matchroom’s announcement emphasized Gonzalez-Ortiz’s (20-0-1, 16 KOs) unbeaten record, but there isn’t much depth behind it. As a solid amateur, he was climbing the ranks in the early 2010s and even fought to a draw with longtime super welterweight champion Serhiy Dzinziruk. However, he stepped away from the sport in 2014.

After nearly a decade out, he returned last year at middleweight, securing two wins—one over 5-23 Jose Saint-Hilaire Gil and another against 14-5 Edward Ulloa Diaz. Not exactly high-profile victories.

Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) remains ranked No. 3 by the WBO, No. 6 by the WBC, and No. 4 by the WBA, meaning a major fight shouldn’t be too far off. Hopefully, this stay-busy matchup doesn’t delay bigger opportunities for too long.