Promoter Eddie Hearn Says Edgar Berlanga may return in February for a combat in New York or his father’s house nation of Puerto Rico. Hearn hinted at a tune-up for Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) to get him again to his successful methods after dropping to unified tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez final Saturday.
Berlanga might produce other plans. In an interview final Saturday, he stated he needs to combat for the IBF tremendous middleweight title subsequent after which face Canelo for the undisputed championship subsequent 12 months.
IBF’s Rehydration Restrict
If Berlanga goes by way of with that plan, he’ll face the winner of the William Scull vs. Vladimir Shishkin combat for the IBF title.
The one impediment for Berlanga, 27, is the IBF’s 10-lb rehydration restrict. Berlanga reportedly rehydrated to 193 lbs final Saturday evening for his combat in opposition to Canelo.
If Berlanga wished to combat for the IBF belt, he would wish to maintain his weight down in a single day after the weigh-in to be throughout the 10-lb restrict of 178 lbs. That’s clearly not going to work for Berlanga if he’s going to be rehydrating to the 190s. It could be very tough for Berlanga to make weight for the IBF’s secondary weigh-in on the morning of the combat.
Berlanga ought to overlook about making an attempt to win the IBF title as a result of if he may make weight for that combat, it doesn’t assure that he would win or that Canelo could be focused on a rematch. Hearn didn’t point out wanting Berlanga to combat for the IBF title.
Hearn’s plan seems to be targeted on Berlanga taking a tune-up in February after which going through one in all these 4 names:
Jaime Munguia
Caleb Plant
Jermall Charlo
Diego Pacheco
Of these names, Berlanga would seemingly be extra focused on preventing Munguia as a result of he’s arguably extra common than the others. Jermall was once a high fighter however has let his profession slide by being inactive.
Former IBF tremendous middleweight champion Caleb Plant has a poor report of 2-2 in his final 4 fights and seemed mediocre final Saturday evening, getting dropped and damage a number of occasions in his combat in opposition to fringe contender Trevor McCumby.
“Come again, have a great combat at 168, after which all of these names can be found: Munguia, Plant, Pacheco, Charlo.,” stated Hearn to IFLTV about his plans for Berlanga in 2025.
Berlanga Wants the Previous Method
If Hearn needs to get probably the most mileage out of Berlanga’s profession to rebuild him as a advertising and marketing product to make cash, he shouldn’t match him in opposition to Pacheco, Charlo, Plant, or Munguia. Berlanga would seemingly lose to all 4 of these fighters, and the cash that he brings in for his fights would dry up in a single day.
Hearn ought to return to the method that bought Berlanga this far by matching him in opposition to sublevel ham & eggers and ramp him up for an additional cash-out kind of combat. Even with Berlanga’s huge 190+ cruiserweight measurement, he would seemingly lose to the 4 fighters that Hearn needs to combat. Berlanga isn’t adequate to beat these kinds of fighters.
Provided that Berlanga appeared to lose each spherical of his combat in opposition to Canelo, staging his subsequent combat in Puerto Rico, as if he’s coming off a win, could be weird.
It could make extra sense for Berlanga to return house to New York, the place he was born and raised, fairly than preventing in his guardian’s house nation of Puerto Rico, treating his one-sided loss to Canelo like a faux victory. That might be bizarre.
