EDGAR Berlanga returns to the ring tomorrow evening, looking to shake off the Canelo defeat last September and reestablish himself as a legitimate super-middleweight threat.
Berlanga’s early career was built around first-round knockouts by promoters Top Rank. As the gimmick gathered pace, Edgar lacked ringtime against experienced operators.
Still, he was able to negotiate 12 rounds against the masterful Canelo and that loss has not dented his confidence ahead of an undercard slot with Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in Orlando.
“I’m back after a big mega-fight with Canelo. I’m fighting against another Puerto Rican, so I know he’s coming with his best. I know he’s going to give it his all.
“I’m locked in right now. This is a small show for me. I just have to go out there and shine like a star, go out there and handle business. Perform like a superstar and get those big fights,” said Berlanga, who is boxing for the final time on his deal with current promoters Matchroom.
“I’m not overlooking this man; he’s coming to win. He’s Puerto Rican, and he has that Puerto Rican blood in him. So, I know he’s coming to fight. I know he’s not going to run around the ring trying to survive. He’s gonna go out there and try to prove a point. So, I just wanted everybody to know that it’s going to be a bloodbath.”
The wider question remains, is Berlanga a pressure cooker fighter with heavy hands, a boxer with power or something in between? More to the point, is he caught between styles. The puncturing jab and right hand are potent weapons, but swift movers with durability have been able to fiddle him around for a few rounds.
“Obviously, I went 12 rounds, toe-to-toe with Canelo. No running, no grabbing, no holding, no nothing. I stood right in his face and we went at it for 12 rounds. So I’m looking for the same outcome or something different on Saturday because we’re winning, and we’re living good.”
A relatively unknown quantity, Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz is 20-0-1 (16 KOs), with the draw coming against former WBO super-welterweight world champion Sergey Dzinziruk.
That’s solid form, albeit 13 years ago! Gonzalez-Ortiz returned in early 2024 following a 10-year absence from the sport. His record indicates a puncher if nothing else. ‘Mantequilla’ has been locked in for weeks of training as well.
“This is a great opportunity for my career. It’s been six or seven weeks of sacrifice and if people believed it’s just a stepping stone, that’s boxing, and that’s the way it is. But it’s about showing what we can do on this Saturday,” said the 35-year-old from San Juan.
“I’m about to make up for some lost time in boxing. I still feel good and my team believes in me as well. This is a good fight for Puerto Rico. Two good-looking warriors that we are going to see get into the ring on Saturday.”
