Edgar Berlanga ready for Steve Rolls on March 19th
Berlanga-Steve Rolls, Zayas-Quincy LaVallais and Davis-Esteban Sanchez will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga is currently completing his final week of fight preparation in his new training locale. After choosing to do his physical therapy in Las Vegas following bicep surgery, Berlanga and his team made the decision to remain in the boxing capitol of the world for their training camp ahead of his March 19 fight.
The choice to move his training camp base west has paid off for Berlanga as he prepares for his first main event, which will take place in his New York hometown. Throughout camp, he has enjoyed the easy access to all of the training facilities he and his team need to prepare for his March showdown with Steve Rolls at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Las Vegas and its mild winter climate have provided excellent training and preparation opportunities for Berlanga ranging from the UFC Performance Institute to the many mountain areas and outdoor spaces for running.
“I came out here to Vegas to get a different training environment and take everything to the next level, but also to do physical therapy on my bicep, which I tore in my last fight. The UFC PI is amazing, the physical therapy is just different. They’ve worked very well on my bicep and they got it back to 100 percent so I’m happy,” Berlanga said.
The 24-year-old learned a lot from his last outing on October 9, the toughest of his five-year professional career. Following a hard-fought victory in his 18th pro fight, Berlanga underwent surgery to repair a left bicep tear on October 20. He traveled to Las Vegas in November to begin physical therapy on his left arm and has been training in Sin City since that time.
In addition to the high-level facilities, Berlanga has benefitted from training alongside many elite fighters, some of whom he’s known since he was a young amateur.
“I love the environment here, being with top fighters such as Jared Anderson, Troy Isley, Duke Ragan, Kenneth Sims and Bruce Carrington (who will also compete on the March 19 card). These are the type of fighters and the gym environment I want to be around as I’m progressing in my career. If you’re doing something wrong, you’ve got your brothers around to tell you. They could be in the ring sparring, and I can pick up some of the things that they are doing,” he said.
Berlanga has focused in on his boxing skills and critical technical elements over the past few months in Las Vegas. Although he has become best known for the 16 first round knockout streak that opened his professional career, Berlanga plans to showcase boxing skill and talent many fans have not previously seen from him.
“I’ve been working on my boxing ability and everything I’ve been doing all my life. I’m just bringing it back and not relying on power anymore because the power is there. I’m going back to my roots and my boxing ability,” he said.
Berlanga and his team will return home to New York early in fight week to finalize preparations for his 2022 debut. The event will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on March 19. Tickets for the stacked card of young talent are going quickly and a full house is expected for the Brooklyn-born boxer’s first main event.
This is what Berlanga had to say at his Las Vegas training camp.
“I think 2022 is going to be a big year for me, and I can’t wait to kick it off in my first main event in New York. I learned a lot from my last fight, and I’ve been working really hard on correcting my mistakes. After my surgery, I chose to do my rehab out here in Las Vegas so I could not only do physical therapy with the best team in the business, but also focus 100 percent on boxing. The fans are going to see big things from me this year beginning March 19.”
“Having my first main event at home is amazing. I’m ready to show everyone what I’m made of. I want people to see that I can sell out an arena. I don’t need to have a title or a big-name opponent to sell tickets. I have a fanbase, and everyone is going to see that on March 19.”
“I’m proud to represent New York City and Puerto Rico. I want to be the next great Puerto Rican champion. My first memories of boxing are watching Tito Trinidad fight as a little kid, and I want to give the Puerto Rican people someone that they can be proud of.”
Saturday: Rising Stars Bruce Carrington, Kelvin Davis and Henry Lebron Set to Shine on Edgar Berlanga-Steve Rolls Undercard at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Carrington, Davis and Lebron’s fights will be part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT
Featherweight prodigy Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington, the latest standout boxer to come from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, makes his New York City debut this Saturday, March 19 in a six-rounder against Yeuri Andujar at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Carrington-Andujar, which will be contested at junior lightweight, highlights undercard action before the 10-round super middleweight main event featuring Brooklyn’s Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga against Steve Rolls.
Berlanga-Rolls, an eight-round junior middleweight bout between Xander Zayas and Quincy LaVallais, and unbeaten junior welterweight John Bauza in an eight-rounder versus Tony Luis will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Carrington-Andujar and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.
Carrington (2-0, 1 KO) had a nearly decade-long run as one of Team USA’s star amateurs, including a victory in the 125-pound division of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He turned pro last October on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard and made his Top Rank debut in January with a stunning second-round stoppage over Steven Brown. Andujar (5-4-1, 3 KOs), from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, is coming off a six-round draw last December against Pablo Cruz (22-4 at the time).
In other undercard action streaming on ESPN+:
- Long Island-born welterweight sensation Jahi Tucker (6-0, 4 KOs), a 19-year-old power puncher, hopes to increase his knockout streak to three when he battles Tracey McGruder (6-1, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder. The explosive Tucker opened eyes in January with his second-round blitzing of the normally durable Akeem Black.
- Rising Puerto Rican junior lightweight Henry “Moncho” Lebron (14-0, 9 KOs) steps up in class against Honduran veteran Josec Ruiz (23-5-3, 16 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Ruiz, a 10-year pro, has never been knocked out.
- Kelvin Davis (3-0, 2 KOs), the eldest of the fighting Davis Brothers from Norfolk, Virginia, will face Phillip Carmouche (2-2) in a four-round junior welterweight bout. Davis made his Top Rank debut last December at Madison Square Garden and notched a second-round stoppage.
- Lightweight prospect Armani Almestica (4-0, 4 KOs), a 20-year-old from Orlando, Florida, returns in a six-round lightweight battle against Eliseo Villalobos (2-2, 1 KO). As an amateur, Almestica was a force, winning gold at the 2017 USA Junior Olympics and 2018 USA Youth National Championships.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $51 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or M