By Brian Webber: Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn reveals that a fight between unbeaten super middleweight contenders Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia is possible for November 11th.
The idea that Hearn has is for the 26-year-old highly ranked #4 WBO, #6 IBF & #10 WBC Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) to defeat #2 WBC & #2 WBO Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) in November, and then use the victory to catapult him into a title shot against undisputed 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez next May on the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend.
It’s obviously a longshot for Berlanga to get a fight against Canelo in early 2024, but with an impressive enough win over the Golden Boy promoted former WBO junior middleweight champion Munguia on November 11th, it’s quite possible.
“November the 11th might be Berlanga against Munguia,” said Eddie Hearn to October Red.
Berlanga-Munguia is the contest that Hearn has been banging the drum for since Berlanga’s last fight against Jason Quigley on last June in New York. Interestingly, when Munguia’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea of a fight with the dangerous, hulking light heavyweight-sized Berlanga, Hearn said he would take it up with the top brass at DAZN to see if he would change his tune.
Recently, De La Hoya has perked up and is now seemingly on board with making the Berlanga vs. Munguia fight, perhaps thinking of the tremendous upside. A win for Munguia would put him in the catbird seat for his long-awaited lucrative battle against Canelo.
Munguia has been eager to fight Canelo for ages, but he never had the wins on his resume to get that opportunity. A victory over the talented, huge-punching Berlanga might be the key to Munguia finally getting a chance to face Canelo in 2024.
WBC 160-lb champion Jermall Charlo, the fighter that many believe is next in line for Canelo after his September 30th fight against Jermell, might not be mentally or physically ready to step in the ring to challenge the Mexican superstar for his undisputed 168-lb championship in the first quarter of 2024.
Canelo vs. Berlanga would be a massive Mexico vs. Puerto Rico PPV-level fight, with both of their huge fanbases eagerly tuning in to watch the fight in a cross-platform event on DAZN & Showtime.
Both fighters are coming off disappointing performances against fringe-level opposition, yet they remain popular with fans. Munguia had many problems beating 37-year-old former middleweight world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko last June.
The outcome of that fight appeared to be decided in the twelfth round when Munguia dropped Derevyanchenko with a body shot.
