Berlanga signs deal with Matchroom Boxing, targets Canelo showdown

Feb 15, 2023

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Super middleweight up-and-comer Edgar Berlanga signed a multi-fight deal with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing on Tuesday, ending a month of free agency during which he was courted by other heavy hitters as well.

Ultimately, Berlanga opted for the deal from Matchroom with the goal being to land a fight with undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s biggest star, who works regularly with Hearn. The new deal will move Berlanga’s fights to DAZN from ESPN.

“I’m excited to start my new journey with the best promoter in the world, the legend Eddie Hearn,” Berlanga said. “I’m looking to build my legacy in the sport of boxing. I want to thank my manager Keith Connolly and my father Edgar Berlanga Sr., who were instrumental in guiding me towards this amazing opportunity.”

In January, Berlanga and Top Rank agreed to a separation agreement that ended their promotional deal with time left on it. The company and Connolly had been at odds over the direction of his career, the opponents he should face and the value of his bouts.

It is rare for a young, unbeaten fighter, who has established himself as something of a draw, to hit free agency and when Berlanga did there was interest from Premier Boxing Champions boss Al Haymon, who Connolly has done many deals with, as well as Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya.

De La Hoya publicly pursued him and then flew with company president Eric Gomez to New York to meet with Berlanga, his father and Connolly to make their pitch last month. The next day Team Berlanga also met with Hearn, who was happy to sign him. He has made several other deals and worked closely with Connolly, including for a major fight between Alvarez and Connolly client Daniel Jacobs.

“I am delighted to have won the race for Edgar’s signature,” Hearn said. “It is no surprise that everyone wanted to snap him up. He has a great fan base, he is a real character and, most importantly, he can do the business in spectacular fashion in the ring.

“Edgar wants to be a world champion and the fight he wants is Canelo Alvarez. We are plotting a route for him to land that showdown with Canelo, and Edgar is ready to take on the best of the 168-pound division to prove he is ready to meet the undisputed champion in a classic Mexico versus Puerto Rico blockbuster.”

Subscribe to DAZN to see Edgar Berlanga

Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs), a 25-year-old Puerto Rican from Brooklyn, New York, began his career with 16 consecutive first-round KOs and was the hottest prospect in boxing. As the KO streak went on he received enormous hype from Top Rank and ESPN, its broadcast partner.

But as Berlanga stepped up his opposition over his past four fights, he has gone either the eight- or 10-round distance.

In the second of those four bouts, Berlanga suffered the first knockdown of his career in the ninth round against former world title challenger Marcelo Esteban Coceres on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III card in 2021, but he also showed the fighting spirit of a champion to fight from the third round on with a torn biceps, which later required surgery, in a clear decision win.

In Berlanga’s last fight on June 11, which was partly responsible for Top Rank souring on him, he outpointed former world title challenger Roamer Alexis Angulo at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden but drew a six-month suspension and a $10,000 fine from the New York State Athletic Commission for attempting to bite Angulo during the bout and then joking about it during his post-fight interview.

Berlanga apologized for the incident and did not try to appeal the suspension. It ended on Dec. 11 and Top Rank and Connolly could not come to an agreement on what the next move should be for Berlanga’s career.

‘We are plotting a route for him to land that showdown with Canelo,’ — Eddie Hearn on Berlanga

Berlanga was 9-0 when Top Rank signed him in 2019 and put him on the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan undercard at Madison Square Garden and as he continued scoring first-round knockouts he began attracting more and more fans to his fights, especially from the Puerto Rican community.

His first fight with Matchroom Boxing is likely to come in the next few months.

“I’m looking for the big fights and I know signing with Matchroom was the right choice to get me to where I want to go,” Berlanga said. “I’m humbled by this opportunity, and I will dedicate myself into becoming the best 168-pounder in the world. My main goal is to the land the Canelo fight and renew the greatest rivalry in boxing — Mexico versus Puerto Rico.”

Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

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