Edgar Berlanga has chosen a brand new promoter.
BoxingScene.com has realized that the undefeated tremendous middleweight contender and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing have agreed to phrases on a multi-fight settlement. The promotional plan for Berlanga, whose fights will now be streamed by DAZN by its unique content material take care of Matchroom, is for him to struggle Mexican celebrity Canelo Alvarez as a part of this contract.
Alvarez additionally works with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. DAZN has streamed eight of the undisputed tremendous middleweight champion’s previous 9 fights, the final two of which have been pay-per-view predominant occasions.
Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) selected Hearn’s worthwhile proposal over profitable presents from Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions. The 25-year-old Berlanga is predicted to make his Matchroom and DAZN debut throughout the subsequent couple months, however the date and the opponent for the favored Puerto Rican’s return haven’t been solidified.
The Brooklyn native is the fourth-ranked contender for Alvarez’s IBF and WBO tremendous middleweight titles. Berlanga is ranked sixth by the WBA and twelfth by the WBC for the 2 different 168-pound crowns Alvarez owns.
In his subsequent struggle, Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) is predicted to field WBO interim tremendous middleweight champ John Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) on Might 6 at a venue to be decided in Mexico.
Berlanga turned a free agent final month when he and longtime promoter High Rank Inc. agreed to half methods. Executives and matchmakers for Bob Arum’s High Rank and Berlanga’s crew disagreed for a number of months on how Berlanga ought to be matched and paid in 2023, which led to a separation settlement that was introduced January 18.
England’s Hearn will attempt to get Berlanga again on a observe after a tumultuous 2022 wherein Berlanga remained undefeated, but drew some criticism for his performances in back-to-back 10-round, unanimous-decision wins and served a six-month suspension for trying to chew his most up-to-date opponent.
Berlanga hasn’t fought since June 11, the night time he out-boxed Colombian contender Alexis Angulo (27-3, 23 KOs) at Madison Sq. Backyard’s Hulu Theater. The New York State Athletic Fee suspended Berlanga for six months and fined him $10,000 following that 10-round battle as a result of he tried to chew Angulo on his left shoulder throughout the seventh spherical.
Berlanga’s win in opposition to Angulo marked the fourth straight struggle wherein he has gone the gap. He beforehand attracted consideration for knocking out every of his first 16 skilled opponents within the first spherical.
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He might be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
