Fight Week: Edgar Berlanga vs. Jason Quigley, Carlos Adames vs. Julian Williams highlight busy weekend

FIGHT WEEK

Date: Saturday, June 24
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Madison Square Garden Theater, New York
TV/Stream: DAZN
Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Odds: Berlanga 85-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Reshat Mati vs. Dakota Linger, junior welterweights; Adam Kownacki vs. Joe Cusumano, heavyweights
Prediction: Berlanga KO 10
Background: Berlanga is far removed from his streak of 16 knockouts to start his professional career but he has continued to win, claiming his last four victories by decision. He last fought in June of last year, when he defeated Roamer Alexis Angulo by a one-sided decision. Berlanga inexplicably bit Angulo in that fight and was later suspended. He’s ranked in the Top 11 by all four major sanctioning bodies, No. 3 by the IBF. That means a title shot is on the horizon unless he slips up. Quigley is a solid boxer but probably doesn’t have the firepower to upset Berlanga. The one-time silver medalist in the amateur World Championships from Ireland was stopped by Tureano Johnson in July 2019 but bounced back to win three in a row, including a majority decision over Shane Mosley Jr. at 160 in May 2021. He then was blown out in two rounds by then-middleweight champ Demetrius Andrade, which seemed to expose his limitations. He moved back up to 168 after the loss and shut out Gabor Gorbics this past April.

Date: Saturday, June 24
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: The Armory, Minneapolis
TV/Stream: Showtime
Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Odds: Adames 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Erickson Lubin vs. Luis Arias, junior middleweights; Fernando Martinez vs. Jade Bornea, junior bantamweights (for Martinez’s IBF title)
Prediction: Adames UD
Background: Adames, a top 160-pound contender, is on the precipice of a title shot. The 29-year-old boxer-puncher from the Dominican Republic lost a close decision to slick Patrick Teixeira for an “interim” title in November 2019 but learned from the experience. He has reeled off four consecutive victories since the setback, including a breakthrough majority decision over veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko in December 2021 and a third-round knockout of Juan Montiel this past October. Williams, 33, might be in a do-or-die situation. The polished technician from Philadelphia outclassed Jarret Hurd to become a 154-pound champion in May 2019 but has struggled since. He was stopped in five rounds by Jeison Rosario in his first defense and lost a split decision to Vladimir Hernandez in his next fight. He last fought in November, when he outpointed journeyman Rolando Mansilla in his first fight as a full-fledged 160-pounder. If he loses to Adames, he could be finished as an elite fighter.

Date: Saturday, June 24
Time: 4 a.m. ET / 1 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo
TV/Stream: No TV in U.S.
Division: Junior bantamweight (115 pounds)
At stake: Franco’s WBA title
Odds: Even (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Musashi Mori vs. Takuya Watanabe, junior lightweights; Daigo Higa vs. Sirichai Thaiyen, bantamweights
Prediction: Ioka SD
Background: Franco and Ioka fought to a majority draw in a title-unification showdown in December in the same venue in Ioka’s country, with Franco winning on one card and the other two judges scoring the fight a draw. Franco is the younger (27), rising fighter after back-to-back victories over Andrew Moloney (not counting a no-contest in between those fights) and the draw with Ioka. The well-schooled boxer from Texas hasn’t lost since he was stopped by Lucas Fernandez in 2018, although he has three draws since then (Oscar Negrete twice and Ioka). He outpointed Negrete in the second of their three compelling bouts. Ioka, a 34-year-old former three-division titleholder, proved he has plenty of fight left in him by easily outpointing Donnie Nietes last July in the final defense of his WBO belt (which he later gave up) and the draw with Franco. Nietes had defeated Ioka by a split decision in December 2018, the Japanese star’s most-recent setback. The Franco-Ioka show is not available to American fans as of this posting.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

Jesus Saracho vs. Tarik Zaina, junior welterweights, Ontario, California (Thompson Boxing YouTube and Facebook)

SATURDAY

Sarah Bormann vs. Perla Perez, strawweights, Ludwigsburg, German (DAZN)
Antonio Napolitano vs. Brandon Brewer, super middleweights, Niagra Falls, Canada (FITE)

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