What’s Next For Edgar Berlanga?

Edgar Berlanga secured a first-round knockout win against Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz, raising question marks about the next step.

Berlanga bounced back from his last performance against Canelo Alvarez, where he lost a one-sided unanimous decision. Berlanga dropped his man three times on his way to the stoppage, as he then called out the big names. One of those names mentioned was Caleb Plant. The two fighters had an altercation during their meeting at the weigh-in for Canelo’s fight against Jermell Charlo.

Berlanga and Plant exchanged verbals whilst they were in the crowd, setting the narrative for a future fight. Plant bounced back from his defeat against David Benavidez in his last bout to secure a win over Trevor McCumby. Promoter Eddie Hearn also talked up a fight against Plant, stating that the former IBF Super Middleweight Champion is the ideal opponent.

Another name mentioned was Jaime Munguia. He also fought against Canelo, but he lost a unanimous decision. However, Munguia suffered a shock defeat to Bruno Surace in his last bout, giving him the second loss of his career. He is expected to run things back with the Frenchman. If Munguia comes through with a win, he could also be an option. 

Another alternative mentioned is Jermall Charlo. Charlo is the former WBC Middleweight Champion, who was absent from the sport for over two years before returning in 2023. He suffered from mental health problems, but he bounced back to secure a win over Jose Benavidez Jr. in his last bout. But since then, he has not managed to get back in the ring, raising question marks over his future. But Charlo is still an undefeated fighter, meaning that it would be a big win on Berlanga’s resume. 

Berlanga Reacts

The last alternative mentioned is a rematch against Canelo. Berlanga was praised by some for managing to go the distance with Alvarez. However, he also received criticism for celebrating as though that was a landmark achievement. He offered nothing in the fight, while there is nothing to indicate that Berlanga would be able to cause an upset the second time around. However, the fight still has the potential to do well, given that the Puerto Rican and Mexican fans came out to help sell 650,000 PPVs. Either way, Berlanga will be looking to make some big moves moving forward.

“Yeah, they love me from the Canelo fight. The whole staff at PBC, they love me. I sold the hell out of that fight [Canelo Alvarez], and I brought that charisma. I brought a great fight for the fans, and now I’m a veteran. I’m up there with the best. I got to go out there and perform now. Caleb Plant. We want [Jaime] Munguia. We want Jermall Charlo. Plant, you’re a b****. I got him out of there early and now I’m onto the next one,” Berlanga said