Edgar Berlanga will get another opportunity to prove his promise and potential when he takes on Padraig McCrory on Saturday at the Caribe Royale in Orlando. The fight will headline a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN.
Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) has fizzled a bit recently after kicking off his career to a sizzling start with 16 straight first-round knockout wins.
The 26-year-old’s last five fights have all gone the distance.
Berlanga has also looked vulnerable at times in fights against faded gatekeepers like Marcelo Coceres and Steve Rolls.
“I think that’s a pretty good fight and another step-up fight for me as well, great experience that is going to be shown,” said Berlanga. “I’m going to do my thing and do damage.”
The 35-year-old McCrory (18-0, 9 KOs), from Belfast, Northern Ireland, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win against Steed Woodall in August.
Berlanga beat Scott Quigley in June, knocking down the Irishman four times en route to a dominant decision win, but a stoppage victory many expected escaped him.
The Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican realizes he must have a prolific performance against McCrory to land even bigger fights down the road.
“I have to just perform my ass off in this fight,” said Berlanga. “I have to really make a statement and look phenomenal. That should make it an opener for a fight with Canelo [Alvarez] in 2024. I know he has all of the titles, and I’m young, but I have the entire island of Puerto Rico behind me. It’s based on how I look in my next fight. We’re looking forward to dominating this dude, beating him, and doing my thing, and eventually, that will open up doors for us in 2024 against Canelo Alvarez.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.