By Brian Webber: Edgar Berlanga says one factor that led to him parting ways with Top Rank is the promotional company wanted to demote him to co-main event status, removing him from being a headliner as he’d been.
Now as a free agent, Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) is in demand by all the top promoters, two of which are PBC and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
Berlanga, 25, isn’t saying which direction he’s leaning to sign, but he smiled when asked if he might sign with Hearn.
The British promoter has promised Berlanga a fight against Canelo Alvarez next year, provided he wins two or three fights against world class opposition to prove that he belongs in the ring with the Mexican superstar.
As for Top Rank, it’s understandable why they wanted to move Berlanga to co-main event status because he’s not looked good in his last four fights after they moved him from fighting second-tier opposition to putting him in with fringe contenders.
Perhaps what may have been the final straw was Berlanga attempting to bite his last opponent Roamer Alexis Angulo, when he was having problems with the pressure he was getting from the former world title challenger.
Top Rank wanted to demote Berlanga
“They wanted me to go back down to co-main event, and obviously that was another thing. We don’t want to do that,” said Berlanga to iFL TV about Top Rank wanting to take Edgar Berlanga off headliner spots.
“I felt like I’d done my numbers. I’d fought top opposition. I’d done my thing unanimously, and I’d sold out freaking Hula Theater [Madison Square Garden] back to back. Who does that? No fighter is doing that,” said Berlanga.
It’s unclear if Berlanga is intentionally being disingenuous when he says he’s “fought top opposition” because that’s clear not been the case. The last four opponents that Berlanga has fought have been fringe contenders, not top opposition.
Berlanga’s last four opponents:
- Roamer Alexis Angulo
- Steve Rolls – 38 years old
- Marcelo Esteban Coceres
- Demond Nicolson
“Obviously, when we [Top Rank] separated and parted ways, I knew my worth. Seeing the promoters wanting me and fighting for me now,” said Berlanga. “Like I said, it’s a blessing. I’m blessed. I’m humbly saying this. I feel great to be in this position.”
Berlanga’s comment about knowing his worth is similar to what Teofimo Lopez said when he pushed his fight against George Kambosos Jr into a purse bid situation.
That one turned out to be a total disaster for Teofimo, with him sitting out of the rising for almost a year after Top Rank lost the bid to another promotional outfit.
Hopefully, Berlanga’s career doesn’t go downhill with his next promoters putting him in against A-level opposition that he doesn’t appear ready to fight.
Not only will Berlanga not get the Canelo fight if he gets beaten by the top contenders that he feels he’s ready to fight, but his career will evaporate overnight
“Al Haymon is definitely in the picture. I just got off the phone with him the day before yesterday. He wants to shoot down here ASAP now to come meet me in person. It’s starting to get real spicy. I’m just enjoying it,” Berlanga said.
Bidding war for Edgar
“I know the promoters are not taking it to heart,” Berlanga said. “They know what comes with it wanting to sign a hot prospect or a hot contender like myself. It comes with the territory, everyone wanting to sign me.
“It’s a bidding war right now. It’s a question mark. I’ll pass on that,” said Berlanga when asked if Eddie Hearn is the frontrunner to sign him. “Right now, Eddie is an amazing guy; he’s a legend. That’s what I’m going to say right there. He’s a legend.
“Possibly you could see us with him, or you can see with Al [Haymon], depending on if we’re still in conversations with him. Of course, when I met with Eddie yesterday, he was pushing for that,” Berlanga said about Hearn dangling the Canelo Alvarez fight for him.
“He was saying, ‘Edgar, I see you doing your thing and winning a fight or two massively and then going straight for Canelo.’ He was saying Canelo wants it and thinks it would be a good idea. Everybody thinks it would be a good idea. I’m Puerto Rican. I got the whole island behind me.
“He’s Mexican. So imagine filling out an arena in Vegas, and you have half of the sides with Mexican flags and half of the side with Puerto Rican flags, and the stadium breaks down.
Berlanga has the look
“Of course, a lot of promoters need that. They love fighters that look good, fight good, that got the looks, that’s young, have a country behind them, and that sells,” said Berlanga. “When you have the whole package like that, you can be in my position the way I am right now.
“Of course, with the opportunity and with the promoters wanting me and stuff, whoever we decide to go with Eddie [Hearn], it would be massive,” said Berlanga when asked if he’d like to fight in the chief support spot on the Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor II card on May 20th in Dublin, Ireland.
“I wouldn’t mind being the co-main. That’s my sis[ter], man,” Berlanga said, referring to his good friend Serrano]. We watched each other groom into the fighters we are today.
“Right now, you see, with Top Rank, like I was telling everybody, they wanted certain things that we didn’t want, and we wanted to move a certain way that they didn’t want to move.
“It was a lot of meetings, and we kept going back and forth. We were going, ‘Alright, we want this,’ and they’ll be, ‘We’ll get back to you.’ We get a phone call later in the night, ‘No, we don’t want that. We want to do this.’ So it was a lot of misunderstandings.
“It wasn’t great communication. It was a lot of things going on in those meetings in the last four months that me and my team, we made a decision and said we should part ways with them.
“Obviously, it’s not working anymore. We’re not seeing eye to eye anymore as a fighter and a promoter. Might as well let me continue with my career and move forward,” said Berlanga.
Hearn eager to sign Berlanga
“Edgar Berlanga is a fighter that everybody wants. Us, PBC, he obviously was with ESPN, Golden Boy,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to the media last Saturday night. “I think we have a great plan for him.
“We can headline him; we can continue his rise, continue his popularity, and ultimately we can deliver him the Canelo Alvarez fight,” Hearn continued.
“He needs to prove against world class opposition that he’s in the position to fight Canelo Alvarez, but it’s Mexico against Puerto Rico. It’s a massive fight, but he still has to have those fights. We’d be happy to give him those fights before we look at Canelo Alvarez in May 2024.
“He’s done huge gates here before [Madison Square Garden in New York]; he’s a big star. Edgar Berlanga is a headline attraction,” said Hearn.