The main reason for undefeated super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) to separate himself from Top Rank and eventually join Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing was that the change would bring him closer to a fight against Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
That plan, however, hit a big delay when Canelo signed a three-fight commitment with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican boxer is focused on the upcoming fight against Padraig McCrory on February 24 at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida.
“I have not given up on a fight against Canelo. It doesn’t matter that he’s with PBC because it is stipulated in my contract that I can fight with [an opponent signed with] another promoter. I know that if I win in February it could happen later on. Canelo has dates in May and September, so we’ll see if it can happen in September,” Berlanga told Carlos Gonzalez.
Canelo has a tentative date of May 4 for his next commitment. Some of the potential candidates to face him include, Jermall Charlo, Jaime Munguia, Terence Crawford and David Benavidez.
At the moment, Berlanga is only thinking about McCrory, who is undefeated in 18 fights and has nine knockouts.
“I like his style because I know he’s not going to run and he has a good record. He is a good stepping stone for me. Next year there are big plans. I have two fights with Matchroom and then I am a free agent. I’m doing the fight in February and one more, so I have to get the most out of it,” Berlanga said.
Berlanga insisted for Hearn to book his next fight in Puerto Rico, but the chips didn’t fall into place.
“I wanted to fight in front of my people because they are waiting. I spoke to Amanda (Serrano) and her trainer (Jordan Maldonado) a few months ago about the possibility of being on the card (of Serrano’s return to Puerto Rico on March 2), but they didn’t contact my promoter (Hearn). After February, I’ll be pushing for that again. I have achieved several dreams, like fighting at Madison Square Garden in New York. The other is to do it at the Choliseo,” said Berlanga.
Credit: Boxing Scene