Not long ago, Edgar Berlanga was thought to be the next big star of the super middleweight division. The young fighter out of Brooklyn, New York had strung together 16 consecutive first-round knockouts before knocking down Demond Nicholson four times en route to his first decision win. Then, things changed a bit.
Hours before Tyson Fury beat Deontay Wilder for the second time in a heavyweight battle, Edgar Berlanga stepped into the ring. Without the pressure of having to continue his first-round knockout streak, Berlanga seemingly struggled early on in a 10-round contest with Marcelo Esteban Coceres. In fact, Coceres sent the Brooklynite to the canvas for the first time in his career and Berlanga suffered a shoulder injury as well. While Berlanga did end up pulling out decision victory, many critics and fans were unsure of how he’d move forward. Months later, the New York native returned to the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden for a battle with former title challenger Steve Rolls. Much like his previous bout, Berlanga earned a fairly clear decision victory, but he did appear to struggle at times. Now, he’s ready to return to his hometown and put the critics to the rearview mirror.
Berlanga is prepared to take on Roamer Alexis Angulo in a 10-round bout. Similar to Berlanga, Angulo has knockout power as well. Angulo has won 23 of 29 bouts by way of knockout. Despite his power, Berlanga is confident that he’ll do what he needs to do to win.
“I feel like he’s a perfect opponent for me,” Berlanga told Boxing Scene.
“You know, he’s the type of guy that’s not gonna shy away from power. He’s not gonna shy away from anything. You know, I feel like he’s gonna be there for me. I know he’s gonna be there for me. I don’t see him running. He’s a rugged, tough fighter, and has power.”
Berlanga is no stranger to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. He’ll be more than ready as he shares the ring with Angulo on June 11, 2022 on ESPN.
