Is Edgar Berlanga the “Best Super Middleweight in the World?”

Image: Is Edgar Berlanga the "Best Super Middleweight in the World?"
By Dan Ambrose - 04/06/2024 - Comments

This week, Edgar Berlanga took to social media to proclaim himself as the “best super middleweight in the world.”

Call for a Showdown with David Morrell Jr.

The comment by the unbeaten #1 WBA-ranked Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) was immediately met with criticism from fans on social media, some of them which suggested that the carefully matched New Yorker should face the talented Cuban, David Morrell Jr. next if he’s truly the “best” at 168.

Berlanga is WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion Morrell’s mandatory after defeating Padraig McCrory last February in a title eliminator. However, Berlanga has already rejected the fight with Morrell, saying he wants undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

The Eddie Hearn-promoted Edgar Berlanga, 26, hasn’t faced a true top-tier contender during his eight-year professional career, and some view him as a textbook example of a manufactured fighter designed to make money but without much talent.

Berlanga’s Mandatory Status and Miscalculation

Fans feel that Berlanga is afraid to fight Morrell, who he should face, given that he’s his mandatory, not Canelo’s like he mistakenly thought he was after his sixth-round knockout win over the little-known 35-year-old Irish fighter Padraig McCory on February 24th.

“No, we on to something different right now. They gave us a WBA #1 for the title, but we’re onto bigger things. We want Canelo,” Edgar Berlanga told the media when asked if he would be interested in challenging David Morrell for his WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight title.

Fans Skeptical, Allege Fear

Berlanga’s quick dismissal of a world title offer by WBA champion Morrell has led to a backlash from fans, who see this as a sign of Edgar’s fear and that he’s just looking for a cash-out payday fight against Canelo.

They feel that if Berlanga is truly the best in the world, he would fight Morrell and capture his WBA secondary title to strengthen his position for a fight against Canelo. In the eyes of the fans, Berlanga’s not using his WBA mandatory position to challenge Morrell for his title looks weak.

After all, why did Berlanga bother to fight in a title eliminator with the World Boxing Association if he wasn’t going to use the mandatory status to fight for the belt?