Notebook: Berlanga pumped to headline on Puerto Rican Parade weekend in N.Y.

Donaire reflects on KO loss to Inoue; Butler ready to face the 'Monster'; Danny Garcia tops Showtime tripleheader; Pulev-Chisora rematch; Quick hits; Show and tell

Jun 08, 2022

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Puerto Rican super middleweight Edgar Berlanga is a big fan of past island greats, namely Hall of Famers Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto.

Brooklyn’s Berlanga aspires to follow in their footsteps and knows all about how they filled up New York’s Madison Square Garden for many of their fights and about how when Cotto was with Top Rank, which is also Berlanga’s promoter, the company came up with the idea of having Cotto fight regularly on the eve of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade in New York.

Now Berlanga is in that position, and although he is not yet ready yet for the Garden main arena, he will fight for the second time in a row as the headliner at the building’s Hulu Theater on Saturday (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET) — the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade — when he faces Roamer Alexis Angulo in a 10-rounder.

“I will give my Island a big win on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade,” said Berlanga, who trained for the fight in Puerto Rico instead of New York, where he usually trains. “I am are ready to win big for all my Boricuas. This is a dream come true for me. I'm very excited and can't wait to get in the ring in Madison Square Garden, just like Tito and Cotto used to do. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, and it will not be easy, but I'm up for the task and I'm ready to do my own thing and put on a great show for all my people.”

On March 19, Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs), 25, drew a sellout crowd of 5,158 at the Hulu Theater for a 10-round decision win over Steve Rolls. Berlanga began his career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts but has gone the distance in his last three bouts, including in October, when he suffered a left biceps tear in the third round and overcame the first knockdown of his career in the ninth round in a unanimous decision over former world title challenger Marcelo Esteban Coceres on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard. He had surgery and retuned against Rolls in an uneven performance.

He is hoping for a better showing against Angulo (27-2, 23 KOs), 38, of Colombia, whose only losses were in super middleweight world title fights, a decision challenging Gilberto Ramirez in 2018 and a 10th-round TKO loss to David Benavidez for a vacant belt in 2020.

“This fight will be big for my career,” Berlanga said. “I’m ready to show up and show out as the new face of all Puerto Rican boxing. With this fight, I will set the tone and show everyone what I'm capable of. I have to win big and I will. Get ready for some fireworks.

“I have been working very hard. I have been working on polishing all aspects of my game. You guys will see a real monster — a monster that has a lot of power, but also a monster that knows how to box and set things up. Don't get me wrong, he is a tough fighter and he will come to fight, but I will break him down.”

Donaire never saw it coming

After getting blasted out by the “Monster” Naoya Inoue in the second round of their rematch to unify three bantamweight world titles, Nonito Donaire did not do an in-ring interview on Tuesday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

But after the fight, which did not come close to living up the lofty standards they set when Inoue won a hard-fought battle to unify two bantamweight belts in the 2019 fight of the year, Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs), 39, gave his thoughts on his “Beyond The Ring with Nonito and Rachel” YouTube channel.

“Inoue got me really good,” Donaire said. “I was always going to keep fighting and I’m glad the referee stopped the fight because I was always going to stand up. I just don’t have any quit in me. … Inoue is an amazing fighter and I’m glad I got to share the ring with him.”

Three-division champion Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs), 29, knocked four-division champion Donaire down with a right to the temple in the final seconds of the first round and he was never the same. In the second round Inoue severely rocked him with a left hook before landing a series of follow-up shots, including a clean left-right combination that floored him again as referee Michael Griffin waved it off.

Donaire said he did not even realize he had been knocked down in the first round.

“I got caught cold with a big punch and you can’t make mistakes like that in a big fight,” Donaire said. “The first (knockdown) punch, I was trying to counter with the hook and I got caught with it. I didn’t see it at all. And all I know is the referee was counting me. I got up and I’m like, ‘He’s still counting. Why’s he counting still?’ And then and I turned around to the corner and (wife and trainer) Rachel is like, ‘put your hands up or else he’ll count you out.’ I put my hands up and (I realized) I got dropped. I got caught with that punch and I didn’t even know what happened. I was trying to counter and all of a sudden I was on the floor.

“I would probably say that was the hardest punch I’ve ever been hit with. The first (knockdown), I came up completely blank. The second (knockdown) I know I got hit. I felt it. … The punch that you don’t see is the one that really hurts you. I didn’t see that punch coming.”

Donaire had been stopped once before in his career, in the sixth round of a featherweight title fight — two divisions north of bantamweight — by much bigger Nicholas Walters in 2014.

Donaire said of Inoue, “I took his best shot and he can crack. He did what he did. I’m just grateful that I’m healthy.”

Inoue-Butler for undisputed?

Inoue said even before he unified three bantamweight titles by knocking out Donaire on Tuesday that his goal was to unify all four 118-pound titles before moving up to junior featherweight.

If Inoue is to get the opportunity to become the first undisputed bantamweight champion of the three- or four-belt era, he will need to face WBO titlist Paul Butler (34-2, 15 KOs), 33, of England.

It’s a fight Top Rank, Inoue’s co-promoter, said they have interest in pursuing and it should not be a complicated deal to make because Butler said he wants the fight and he is promoted by Probellum, which promotes Donaire and was able to make the Inoue rematch with ease.

“I’ve read all sorts of comments and predictions about the fight already: ‘Butler has a death-wish’, ‘Inoue to win by murder’ and agreeing to the fight would be like ‘Signing someone’s death warrant,’” Butler said. “He hits very hard but what’s the worst that can happen? He knocks me out. I’ve been stopped before and let me make it clear — I will be going into that fight believing I can win. I will be walking to the ring believing, as I always do, that I can win the fight and become the undisputed bantamweight champion of the world.”

Butler also said he has no problem traveling to Inoue’s home country of Japan for the fight.

“I want the fight in Japan. I would be silly not to,” he said. “If the fight could be made over here (in England), fine, but if I get extra for fighting in Japan, then that’s what I’ll do.

“Hopefully, contact can continue between both teams. Before the Donaire fight, Inoue’s team had put the feelers out, asking if I would take the fight and, if so, where would I want it? I’ve told them I want it and I want it in Japan. Hopefully, we can get this big fight.”

Danny Garcia tops tripleheader

Premier Boxing Champions and Showtime made Danny Garcia’s ring return against Jose Benavidez Jr. official on Wednesday.

Garcia, a former welterweight and junior welterweight titlist, will end a career-long layoff and move up to junior middleweight and face Benavidez in a 12-rounder that will headline a tripleheader on July 30 (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs), 34, of Philadelphia, who will fight at Barclays Center for the ninth time, has been idle since a decision loss to unified welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. in December 2020.

“I’m back like I never left,” Garcia said. “I can’t wait to return to the ring in front of the fans at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, who have always supported me, and for all my fans across the country watching on Showtime. The 'Danny Garcia Show’ returns July 30.”

Benavidez (27-1-1, 18 KOs), 30, of Phoenix, who is the older brother of interim super middleweight titlist David Benavidez, is 0-1-1 in his last two bouts in a career marred by a serious leg injury from a gunshot wound. In 2018, Terence Crawford knocked him out in a welterweight title fight. Benavidez didn’t fight again until a majority draw with Francisco Emanuel Torres in November.

“This is a Mexico versus Puerto Rico matchup and both of us have something to prove,” Benavidez said. “It’s going to be a great fight for the fans. I feel strong and I know I will end this one on fight night. I’m bigger and stronger than he is and come July 30, he will see the difference in power between us.”

There are also two 10-rounders scheduled for the telecast:

In the co-feature, popular Polish heavyweight Adam Kownacki (20-2, 15 KOs), 33, of Brooklyn, will face 2016 Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen (16-1, 12 KOs), 32.
In the opener, elite junior welterweight prospect Gary Antuanne Russell (15-0, 15 KOs), 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, will face former junior lightweight and lightweight titlist Rances Barthelemy (29-1-1, 15 KOs), 36, a Cuba native fighting out of Las Vegas..

Seemingly on his way to a title shot, Kownacki saw his career crater in 2020 and 2021 with back-to-back knockout losses to Robert Helenius in his last two fights.

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring, especially back home in Brooklyn at Barclays Center,” said Kownacki, who will be fighting there for the 11th time. “I’m ready to show the world that Robert Helenius just caught me at a complicated time in my life, where juggling being a new father and a fighter was a new experience and learning how to manage both was something I needed to learn how to do. For this fight, my family went away to Poland while I’m in camp so I could only focus on boxing. It was a difficult decision to make, but the right one. … I need to beat (Demirezen) to be back in the heavyweight mix.”

Since a lopsided decision loss to Efe Ajagba in July 2019, Demirezen has won five in a row, including an eighth-round knockout of former title challenger Gerald Washington on Jan. 1.

“After my big win in Miami (against Washington), I’m very confident I’m going to give everyone a great fight in Brooklyn,” Demirezen said “I’m ready for anything Adam Kownacki brings to the ring and I want to make a big statement with a win over him.”

Russell, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, is coming off his biggest win, a 10th-round knockout of former junior welterweight titlist Viktor Postol in February and will be fighting soon after the recent death of his father and trainer, Gary Russell Sr.

Since a draw with former lightweight titlist Robert Easter Jr. in 2019, Barthelemy has won both of his fights, a unanimous decision over All Rivera in January 2021 before stopping Gustavo David Vittori in the second round in November.

“He’s knocked out every opponent he’s faced, but he’s going to find out real quick that I’m on another level,” Barthelemy said of Russell. “I’m more determined than ever to take this young kid to school. Don’t be surprised if I take him out.”

Pulev-Chisora rematch

In a fight that came out of the blue, former heavyweight world title challengers Kubrat Pulev and Dereck Chisora will meet in a rematch in the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card on July 9 (DAZN) at The O2 in London, promoter Eddie Hearn announced.

Pulev won a split decision over Chisora at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany in May 2016 in an IBF title eliminator. He also captured the vacant European title.

Pulev is 6-1 since with the lone loss coming by ninth-round knockout in a mandatory world title shot against Anthony Joshua in December 2020. Pulev has won his only bout since, a one-sided 10-round decision over Jerry Forrest on May 14.

Pulev (29-2, 14 KOs), 41, of Bulgaria, will be back in the ring two months later to take on Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs), 38, of England, who is looking to end a three-fight losing streak.

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Chisora dropped a decision to Oleksandr Usyk, who was in his second fight at heavyweight after moving up from cruiserweight, followed by back-to-back losses to former world titleholder Joseph Parker in 2021.

“Initially we worked on some other opponents (including Adam Kownacki) for Dereck, but this fight came out of nowhere a few days ago and I absolutely love it,” Hearn said. “Expect the unexpected but expect a thriller at The O2 on July 9. Both men have been longstanding fixtures of the world heavyweight division and it’s all or nothing at The O2 for both, as defeat could lead to the end of the road.”

Quick hits

The rematch between unified heavyweight titleholder Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time unified titleholder Anthony Joshua, which was originally discussed for June 25 and then July 23, has a new working date of Aug. 20, a source with knowledge of the plan told Fight Freaks Unite. The fight is likely to take place in Saudi Arabia at a temporary facility that needs to be built. Ukraine’s Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), 35, originally delayed the bout because he was in a territorial defense battalion defending his country against the Russian invasion. Then he left Ukraine to begin training for the rematch of his upset decision win over England’s Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), 32, to claim the belts in London last September. The delay will probably be good for Joshua as he gets used to working with new trainer Robert Garcia.

Featherweights Joet Gonzalez (25-2, 15 KOs), 28, of Los Angeles, and Isaac Dogboe (23-2, 15 KOs), 27, of Ghana, will headline in a 10-rounder on a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card July 23 at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota, sources with knowledge of the bout told Fight Freaks Unite. Gonzalez’s two losses came by decision to Shakur Stevenson (2019) and Emanuel Navarrete (2021) in featherweight world title bouts. Gonzalez has won his only fight since the loss to Navarrete, stopping Jeo Santisima in the ninth round in March. Former junior featherweight titlist Dogboe outpointed Christopher Diaz in November for his third win in a row at featherweight since back-to-back losses to Navarrete in junior featherweight title bouts. Gonzalez-Dogboe takes the place of a fight between former lightweight titleholders Richard Commey and Jose Pedraza, which will move to a later summer date.

Golden Boy announced that Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (21-1-1, 17 KOs), 26, will face Mark Bernaldez (23-5, 17 KOs), 28, of the Philippines, in the co-feature of the Jaime Munguia-Jimmy Kelly super middleweight bout on Saturday (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Other bouts on the stream will be Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle (24-2, 9 KOs) defending her IBF strawweight title against Los Angeles’ Lorraine Villalobos (5-3, 2 KOs) and junior middleweight Evan Sanchez (11-0, 6 KOs), of Parlier, California, taking on Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz (12-5, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Show and tell

When I began covering boxing in 2000, the mega fight everyone was dying to see was between heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. It was the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao of its time: Impossible to make; eventually did happen but took forever with lots of twists & turns; and the first-ever joint pay-per-view between HBO, which had Lewis under contract, and Showtime, which had Tyson under contract. When people ask me if such and such fight can happen I have one response: If they could make Lewis-Tyson, they can make anything. I have many vivid memories of that wild fight week in Memphis, which rolled out the red carpet for visiting media. The time I spent hanging out with comedian Dave Chappelle, who is a big boxing fan, was one of the many highlights. He was there “covering” the fight for nightly spots on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show.” That’s how big the fight was. It was as mainstream as any fight I’ve ever covered other than Mayweather-Pacquiao and maybe Oscar De La Hoya-Mayweather.

The fight went how I expected — a Lewis destruction of the massively faded Tyson, who showed heart and took his beating like a man. Lewis dominated and bloodied Tyson before knocking him out with a huge right hand in the eighth round. The fight was on June 8, 2002 — 20 years ago on Wednesday. Where did that time go? Here are three of the many items from the fight in my collection: my ringside credential, a site poster and a pay-per-view poster.