Boxing is an unforgiving sport that demands the most of its participants, leaving many with weathered torsos, worn minds, and brusied emotions. Still, time after time, they rise from their stools, exit their corners, and walk toward the center of the ring for yet another round. Few have the physical, mental, and emotional toughness to pull themselves through the internal and external battles required to be a fighter, let alone a professional, but Edgar Berlanga is unique.
The 28-year-old with a sledgehammer for a left hand and a vernacular that produces several headline-worthy quotes per minute, rose from the streets of Brooklyn and landed in the ring with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last September. Along the way, Berlanga defied every generic, yet alarming statistic about how [insert demographic here] living in [insert neighborhood here] is more likely to meet a negative fate than live out their dreams. That would be too easy. He prefers the more difficult route, taking on the toughest challenges in and out of the ring.
In the ring, Berlanga, holding a record of 23-1 with 18 knockouts, is looking to put his contender status on the line against Hamzah Sheeraz, a 6’3, hard-hitting super middleweight debutant from the U.K. Outside of the ring, Berlanga spends his time supporting others fighting an even more formidable opponent — brain tumors. The super middleweight who has overcome the odds in the ring spends his free time supporting the Cristian Rivera Foundation, a non-profit based in New Jersey, as they help children overcome the odds outside of it. From donating to Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) research to spending time with kids metaphorically throwing haymakers at brain tumors every day, the Brooklyn native is committed to helping kids live to fight another round. Weeks before his showdown with Sheeraz, Berlanga spoke to Culture Editor Ryan Shepard about his upcoming fight, work with the Christian Rivera Foundation, and much more.
Ryan Shepard: I know you’ve got limited time, so I’ll get straight to it. Given that you’re going to be fighting Hamzah Sheeraz in your hometown, I wanted to look back on your upbringing and early days in boxing. When I say, “Brotherhood Boxing Gym, what does that mean to you?
Edgar Berlanga: Brotherhood Boxing Gym is where I started when I was seven years old. It brings back a lot of memories. When my Dad came home from prison, we used to drive around our neighborhood in Brooklyn. I’d always see the gym. It was on Saint Nicholas [Avenue] between Gates [Avenue] and Palmetto [Street].
It brings back a lot of memories. I was young, seven years old. That’s where everything started for me. I’m thinking about it right now and it’s crazy to see how far we’ve come from there to now. It’s definitely a blessing.
RS: When you get into the ring, it’s all you. But when you think about your time coming up in Brooklyn, who are some of the people that helped you lay the foundation for what you’ve built today?
EB: I’ll mention my first coach, Benny Roman. I’m not with him now, but he has a lot to do with why I’m here today. I feel like everybody [at Brotherhood Boxing] played a major role in my career. I’d also thank my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
But like I said, whether we’re working together still or not, everybody [at Brotherhood Boxing], played a role in this. Under coach Benny Roman, I had a clique that I grew up with at the gym. There were probably seven, maybe eight kids like me. They were good. They could have been where I am right now if they had stayed in their lanes and stayed focused, but they chose different paths. A couple of them went to prison. One of them, unfortunately, is still in prison right now. One of them is…I don’t know, a regular guy who likes to drink. One of them became like a gangbanger. One of them did something with their career and went into modeling or something like that. It’s wild because they all used to push me to become better when I was coming up in that gym. I want to thank them, too. And I’m saying, we’re still, it was like a family. Growing up, being so young and not knowing what direction our lives and careers would go in, the gym and the people I was around were important.
RS: I mentioned Brooklyn and Brotherhood Boxing because those things helped you become who you are today. Now, you’re paying it forward by helping kids who are fighting a different fight — DIPG. As a high-profile boxer with plenty of people pulling at you and vying for your involvement in several for-profit and non-profit projects, what drew you to the Christian Rivera Foundation?
EB: The Christian Rivera Foundation means a lot to me. We’re talking about young kids, right? They’re suffering from these rare DIPG tumors and passing away at a young age.
Last year, there was a young girl named Jesselyn Silva who passed away. She was a Puerto Rican boxer from New Jersey and a two-time Junior Olympic Gold Medalist. She was a beast and her career would’ve skyrocketed as she got older. When you see all of this stuff going on with Jake Paul, Most Valuable Promotions, and women’s boxing, she definitely would have been in line to become one of the best there is. It just sucks to know that a tumor took her life and she’s no longer with us.
To answer your question directly, I didn’t know a lot about the Christian Rivera Foundation until Jesselyn Rivera was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When I learned about her story and then her connection to the foundation, I looked into it and found out that the CEO, John “Gungie” Rivera, was one of my Dad’s best friends.
In 2022, we brought her [Jesselyn Rivera] into the ring after one of my victories, and I gifted her an award. You know? From then on, I was locked in. I wanted to get involved with the foundation and it’s been like that since.
RS: Since then, I’ve noticed that you wear a patch on your trunks to honor the foundation. What does it mean for you to not only represent Brooklyn and Puerto Rico every time you step into the ring, but also the Christian Rivera Foundation?
EB: It means everything to me. I love spreading awareness about DIPG and the challenges these kids are facing. When I step into the ring, I’m not only representing myself, but I’m bringing these kids, their families, and the entire foundation in there with me. I’m just so happy to be a part of this foundation and the amazing work that they’re doing.
RS: When you step into the ring next, it will be in July. As we talk, the exact location has not yet been announced, but it will be in New York. While you’ve headlined events at The Theater at Madison Square Garden previously, this will be at a different venue with a different atmosphere. What are you most looking forward to about not only your fight, but the event in its entirety?
EB: I’m excited, man. My last main event in New York was back in 2023, so I’m excited to come back home and fight. This one’s going to be a banger, for sure. I see myself stopping this guy. Whether it’s a knockout or I stop him in the corner, I’m definitely going out there and putting on for everyone in New York. For the entire foundation and all of the kids they support, I’ll be fighting for them. I want them to tune in and, if they’re healthy enough, come to the fight. I’m also going to be giving tickets to some of the kids and their families, so they can watch up close and see one of their board members go to work.
RS: I’m from New Jersey, so I’m definitely looking forward to it. With you and Shakur Stevenson being from the area and the event happening just over the bridge, I know the atmosphere is going to be great.
There’s one more question I want to ask. After you fought Canelo Alvarez last year, you did a post fight interview in which you said, “I proved I’m a great fighter.” What else do you feel that you have prove to yourself or achieve as you push for the big fights against Jaime Munguia or Caleb Plant or even Canelo Alvarez, again?
EB: I’ve just got to get a few knockouts. I’ve got to grab this guy, Sheeraz, and put him through the ropes. If we get the Munguia fight in November, I’ve got to put Munguis through the ropes. Then, I know for a fact that we’ll get the Canelo fight. I just feel I’ve got to knock these guys out to get there.
I’ve already proved to the world that I can hang with the best. That was a question that many people would hold over my head. Can Edgar hang? Can Edgar be out there and fight one of the greatest of all time? I stood toe-to-toe with him for 12 rounds with my arm being injured. I still went out there and did my thing. I did everything I had to do. I went from middle school all the way to college in one fight. I jumped high school. You know? I went from where I was to fighting a legend on pay-per-view in front of 20,000 people. Some people thought that experience would break me. They thought, ‘This kid is young. He’s never experienced anything like this before. It’s going to be too much for him. It’ll be too much pressure.’ But, I handled it well. I went out there and did what I had to do and it was an amazing experience.
But going forward, this is going to come down to knockouts. I’ve got to grab this dude, Sheeraz, and beat him up. In November, I’ve got to do the same to Munguia.
Note: The interview was lightly edited for grammar and clarity. To learn more about Edgar Berlanga and the Christian Rivera Foundation, please visit https://cristianriverafoundation.org/.
