By Brian Webber: Super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) weighed 167.8 lbs, and Jason Quigley (20-2, 14 KOs) came in at 167.6 pounds at their weigh-in on Friday.
Berlanga will debut for his new promoter Eddie Hearn in a twelve round fight against former middleweight world title challenger Quigley.
There’s pressure on Berlanga to knockout Quigley faster than former WBO 160-lb champion Demetrius Andrade, who stopped him in two rounds in 2021.
That’s the problem with Hearn using Quigley as a tune-up fight for Berlanga. Unless he stops him as fast or faster than Andrade, he will compare unfavorably.
Berlanga needs to shake his image of being a neck-biting hype job, who was in denial when his former promoters at Top Rank wanted to back him off from headlining after his fourth consecutive poor performance last year against Roamer Alexis Angulo.
It’s not that Top Rank wanted to take Berlanga off headlining cards, but they felt they had no choice because he wasn’t performing well enough to be stepped up against better opposition.
Moreover, he couldn’t continue fighting lesser opposition in main event spots on ESPN like he’d been doing.
Heavyweight Adam Kownacki weighed 251.8 lbs in the co-feature weights, and his opponent Joe Cusumano scaled in at 238.2 lbs.
Does Berlanga need a quick knockout of Quigley?
Chris Mannix: “After starting his career with sixteen consecutive first round knockouts, some of the shine has come off after his last four fights have gone to a decision. Is it a failure if Berlanga doesn’t make short work of Jason Quigley?” Mannix said to DAZN’s JABS.
Sergio Mora: “No, it’s not a failure, but it’s a possible red flag on Edgar Berlanga. Not only that, because those first round knockouts get good to you, but then you start fighting fighters that are actually winners, who are accustomed to going the distance, who aren’t intimidated by power, who aren’t intimidated by that hometown crowd.
“So that’s what happened when Edgar Berlanga started fighting fighters like Cocere, Steve Rolls, who was in there with Golovkin. Guys that know how to survive.
“Power doesn’t intimidate them. Those first 16 fighters he knocked out in the first round, those were guys you’re supposed to look good against, especially if you’re a power puncher like Berlanga.
“He’s a beast, no doubt about it. He’s the Puerto Rican Mike Tyson, but now just like Mike Tyson, when you’re fighting fighters that are accustomed to power, you’re going to need more than just that in your bag of tricks.
“You’re going to need a lot more than that. You’re going to need a jab; you’re going to need body shots, ring generalship, know how to manage the time, the clock, everything. Power’s not enough. Once you get to the elite and that’s where we’re at with Edgar Berlanga.
“He’s fighting fighters that aren’t accustomed to getting knocked out, they’re accustomed to the power, and they’re spoilers. So this is going to be another example. Jason Quigley is one of these fighters that can be a spoiler.
“He has the experience, he has an amateur pedigree, he has the height & reach, so we’re going to find out exactly what happens. But no, the shine’s not off Berlanga just yet. He’s just fighting winners now.”
Mannix: “I hate being the guy that is going to be critical of Jason Quigley because Jason Quigley, I like a lot. I’ve covered him a lot over the years, but Jason Quigley is the guy you’re supposed to knock out in the first or second round.
“Jason Quigley is basically a career-long middleweight, who two fights ago was steamrolled by Demetrius Andrade in the second round, and nobody’s out there calling Demetrius Andrade a big knockout puncher now. He’s [Quigley] moving up to 168 pounds, he’s coming off a decision win [over Gabor Gorbics] in his last fight, a comeback win in Ireland.
“This is not the opponent that should be going six, seven, eight, nine, or ten rounds with Edgar Berlangaa. If Edgar Berlangaa struggles in this fight or even if Edgar Berlangaa takes this fight to the distance, I think we have a lot of questions about Edgar Berlanga.
“Jason Quigley, while he’s better than a lot of the guys, Edgar Berlanga beat during that 16 fight first round knockout streak, he’s a small guy. Edgar Berlanga is a big guy with a big punch.
“This is the kind of fight Edgar Berlanga needs to look spectacular and should look spectacular in, and if he doesn’t if he doesn’t make quick work of Jason Quigley, I do think we would consider it a failure.”
Why Quigley won’t bow out early
Mora: “Quigley’s not a small guy. He’s a tall fighter, and he knows how to fill out nicely. He has wide shoulders, so he’s not as small as you think. Andrade is a huge middleweight. He’s always been a huge middleweight.
“So here’s the thing. Against Andrade, he got knocked out, but Andrade was a champion, and Tureano Johnson is a world title challenger. So he got beat by guys at the top. I don’t think Berlanga is going to make quick work out of Jason Quigley. I’m going to say that on record right now.
“I know you’re Irish, and so is Quigley, but I’m telling you right now, I’m giving him some credit. This man has the experience now, the championship experience.
“We’ve seen Edgar Berlanga not struggle but not knockout the guys that he was supposed to knockout in the last four fights because they know how to fight. They know how to box and stick behind the jab. These are things that Jason Quigley knows how to do.
“I don’t think Berlanga gets him out of there. I also think he does knock him out, but I don’t think it’s going to be quick. I think he’s going to have his hands full for a while, and then the power will set in.
“The size will set in, the whole time will set in. But you’re not giving Quigley enough credit here.”