Edgar Berlanga took a huge step up in the level of opposition in his unanimous decision loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Saturday in Las Vegas. But according to the fighter’s promoter, Berlanga has moved into the mix with the other notable names at super middleweight.
“If you look at the division now, my question is tell me a more valuable fighter or a bigger name at 168 [besides Canelo],” Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn told Colm McGuigan of iFL TV. “For me, it’s Edgar Berlanga. You’ve got Jaime Munguia. You’ve got Caleb Plant. You’ve got [Jermall] Charlo. You’ve got Diego Pacheco. But Edgar, after that performance, and his personality and his charisma as well, I think he’s become a huge star, and I’m really excited about the future.”
Diego Pacheco is also with Matchroom, though it’s unlikely that the promoter would potentially sacrifice one of its super middleweights so soon, rather than keep two potential options.
It was tempting to conclude that Berlanga, 22-1 (17 KOs), would get a confidence-builder in early 2025. That bout could be held in a place where Berlanga’s family is originally from.
“Realistically he’s going to come back in February,” Hearn said. “I’d like to take him to Puerto Rico. I think he’d do a huge gate there, come back, have a good fight at 168 and then all of those names are available. There’s so many options at 168. His stock has really risen.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
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