By Dan Ambrose: Eddie Hearn revealed today that his new signee super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga would fight in June against a top 15 opponent, potentially against a fighter that Canelo Alvarez has previously fought.
Hearn’s mentioning of Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) fighting a former Canelo opponent narrows potential candidates for his next fight in June to just one – Daniel Jacobs. Unfortunately, many hardcore boxing fans view Jacobs as a totally shot fighter who has looked awful since 2019 and has fought just twice since losing to Canelo in 2018.
Whether it was the huge bag that Jacobs got for the Canelo fight or the punishment he sustained in that match, he hasn’t been active as he once was, and he’s looked uninspired, as in he’s lost the spark he once had.
Of course, Jacobs looking poor might be the whole point. In other words, he’s not a threat to beating the highly vulnerable Berlanga and messing up the money fight between him and Canelo next year.
The 36-year-old former IBF/WBA middleweight champion Jacobs (37-4, 30 KOs) is a fighter that Berlanga has already mentioned as a potential candidate for him to prove himself and earn a fight against Canelo Alvarez.
Hearn used to promote Jacobs for his fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Gabriel Rosado.
Recently, Jacobs lost a 12 round split decision to Hearn fighter John ‘The Gorilla’ Ryder last year in February in London in a fight that many felt he’d done enough to win.
There are younger, more talented fighters than Jacobs that Hearn could match Berlanga against in June, but he might lose, which he obviously wants to avoid.
For that reason, Jacobs has to be considered the likely suspect to get the fight against Berlanga next rather than a more appealing opponent who isn’t over the hill like him.
Who will Berlanga fight next?
“He’ll be fighting in June. I’d like for him to fight in New York or Puerto Rico. I think that would be wild to take it there as well,” said Eddie Hearn to the DAZN Boxing Show on when Edgar Berlanga will make his debut with Matchroom.
Options for Berlanga’s next fight
Daniel Jacobs
Lerrone Richards
Kevin Sadjo
Anthony Dirrell
Carlos Gongora
Bektemir Melikuziev
Ali Akhmedov
Vladimir Shishkin
Mark Heffron
“Ultimately, the plan is [for Berlanga] to take two fights and then Canelo Alvarez,” Hearn continued. “If he can prove himself, they have to be two top 15 [contenders]. Listen, with his profile, with his star power, with his exciting style, with him being Puerto Rican, if he can put himself in the sweepstakes for Canelo Alvarez and be credible for that fight, it would be a huge fight.
“You have to look at the top 15 with guys that Canelo Alvarez has been in with in the past,” said Hearn when asked who Berlanga could fight. “We could do that fight now, and people would be interested, but it’s the credibility.
“One thing Canelo Alvarez is, it’s not like you have to earn your shot, but ‘if you want to fight me, you kind of have to prove you box some world level guys.’
“He’s not just interested in it because it’s Mexico vs. Puerto Rico. But at the same time, that would add to the size of the fight if Berlanga could prove himself as a world class contender, and we believe he can.
“I think that’s more likely for fight two, with all honesty,” said Hearn when told that Berlanga mentioned wanting to fight Gennadiy Golovkin or Jaime Munguia to earn a fight against Canelo. “I don’t see him having the layoff that he’s had coming back in a fight like that, but that’s a great fight.
“Listen, Berlanga vs. Munguia is a fantastic fight, and even against Golovkin. But for me, I see him against a top 15 guy in June and then lead to a tougher fight at the end of the year. If he can win those fights, I think he’s going to put himself right in there [with Canelo].
