Edgar Berlanga continued to work hard today in preparation for his fight against Canelo Alvarez in September.
Why fans are angry
Berlanga posted a video on Instagram of himself wearing a sombrero, singing a Mexican song and kissing a Mexican flag, but fans on social media are complaining that he's in a position to win a multi-million yen payday against Canelo in September. I feel it is a shameless act.
Things look bad, as Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) has rocketed to the WBA mandatory No. 1 spot at 168 without fighting a talented fighter.
Fans feel that if David Benavidez couldn't fight Canelo, Berlanga shouldn't either, as he has far less track record in his career.
Berlanga's calculated rise
Berlanga's former promoter at Top Rank pitted Berlanga against weaker opponents, allowing him to knock out his first 16 opponents in the first round. He struggled against C-level opponents and his knockouts decreased.
Berlanga then left Top Rank and signed with Eddie Hearn. Hearn made it clear from the jump that he wants to fight Canelo as soon as possible.
Berlanga has fought two fights under the Matchroom banner, defeating Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrorie, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the WBA rankings, pushing him to fight Canelo.
Berlanga ignores Caleb Plant
“1000%. Puerto Rico vs. Mexico is the biggest fight of the year,” Berlanga told LockedNLoaded when asked if he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez next. “I'm not worried about him. [Caleb Plant]. Now we're about to have the biggest fight of the year.”
“Edgar Berlanga is a talented fighter, but he is ranked No. 1.'' [with the WBA] Even if you can't beat the former world champion, it's not a 50-50 fight. He's just there. You know what that says? Regarding Edgar Berlanga, who is working hard to become Canelo's next opponent, trainer Stephen Edwards told Mill City Boxing: Alvarez will defend his undisputed title in September.
Experts criticize Berlanga
“He didn't fight a kid named Diego Pacheco over DAZN. When he was at Top Rank, he didn't fight Jesse Hart,” Edwards said, adding that promoter Eddie Hearn told Berlanga and his He talked about how he didn't let the fighter Diego Pacheco fight against Matchroom even though he was a member of Matchroom.
Hearn paired Berlanga with weaker fighters in Quigley and Padraig McCrorie, but some fans feel this was a calculated move to ensure he gets a big payday against Canelo. “I think his management has done a good job with him, but I see a pattern in what they've done with him.
“What I see is they're not developing him the way they're trying to develop him. They're developing him to try to get him paid. [read: cash out]. If I don't think a fighter can beat a certain fighter, I'm going to deal with that fighter as well. ”