Good, bad, worse: What’s wrong with Edgar Berlanga?

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD Edgar Berlanga appears to be a victim of his own success. When you knock out each of your first 16 opponents in the first round, people expect great things from you. And the 24-year-old from Brooklyn …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Edgar Berlanga appears to be a victim of his own success.

When you knock out each of your first 16 opponents in the first round, people expect great things from you. And the 24-year-old from Brooklyn hasn’t been great in his last few fights, which has changed the way he’s perceived.

Berlanga’s latest so-so performance came Saturday, when he defeated veteran Steve Rolls by a unanimous decision in New York City.

The judges obviously thought Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) did enough to earn the decision but he didn’t do much of anything. He stalked his elusive opponent but threw and landed few punches, although he fought with more urgency in the last few rounds.

He seemed to blame Rolls (21-2, 12 KOs) afterward, saying he had to chase the reluctant 37-year-old Canadian the entire fight. Well, if that’s true, it’s his job to cut off the ring and he failed to do that.

And Rolls did a pretty good job for a frightened opponent, making almost every round competitive by sticking and moving. It was a solid game plan and he employed it effectively, at least enough to frustrate Berlanga much of the fight.

So what went wrong for Berlanga?

One problem: 16 consecutive first-round knockouts to start his career means he gained less than 16 full rounds of experience in those fights. That’s nothing. He had an extensive amateur career but he remains raw as a professional.

Another possible problem: Berlanga just isn’t as good as we thought he was. He looked terrific during his knockout streak, ordinary against Marcelo Coceres and Rolls.

One more possible problem: He reportedly works with several trainers, which might be overkill. He might be trying to process too information, which is difficult for a young fighter. Perhaps he needs to settle on one trainer and see how things go.

The good news for Berlanga – and the reason he’s categorized as GOOD here – is that he’s young, he has good backing and, yes, he has some talent.

He could still realize the destiny he sees for himself if he acknowledges that he has a lot of room to grow and takes the proper steps to do so.

 

BAD

Steve Rolls (left) gave a solid performance in defeat against Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night.    Al Bello / Getty Images

I scored Berlanga-Rolls 96-94 – six rounds to four – for Rolls, who I thought outworked Berlanga much of the fight.

Was he robbed? No. I thought it was a close fight that could’ve gone either way. I also believe that Berlanga had the advantage of being the “house” fighter, the fighter expected to win, which might account for the two 97-93 scores in his favor.

In my opinion, Rolls at least came close to pulling off what would’ve been the biggest victory of his career, one that would’ve moved him a giant step closer to his dream of fighting for a world championship.

Now, who knows whether that will ever happen for him? He turns 38 next month, which might mean the fight against Berlanga was his last on a big stage.

I fear that Rolls will be remembered exclusively for his failed attempt to take down future Hall of Famer Gennadiy Golovkin, who stopped him in brutal fashion in the fourth round in June 2019.

I hope that those who saw the fight on Saturday night don’t forget that he gave a solid performance against a highly regarded opponent even if he was overly concerned about Berlanga’s power. He proved in that fight that he’s a good fighter.

 

WORSE

 

Jermall Charlo will defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18.

Boxing’s territorial nature has destroyed another great potential fight.

Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo and contender Jaime Munguia – both highly regarded, undefeated fighters – were near an agreement to fight in June. And then the talks fell apart, which leaves us with Charlo vs. Maciej Sulecki instead.

I won’t even try to unpack the reasons in detail other than to say that it came down to the networks. DAZN (Munguia) wanted to be part of a joint pay-per-view and Showtime wouldn’t agree to that, instead offering to give DAZN the rematch.

Just like that, a wonder matchup was dead, at least for now.

There’s nothing wrong with Charlo’s fight with Sulecki, a solid contender from Poland who has a victory over Gabriel Rosado. I look forward to the fight.

The problem is that a matchup between Charlo and Munguia – who have a combined record of 71-0, with 53 knockouts – is one of the better possible fights in the sport. Charlo is one of the best in the business and Munguia is moving steadily in that direction.

That’s why I know I wasn’t the only one who was disappointed to learn that Charlo had gone from the possibility of fighting Canelo Alvarez to probably fighting Munguia to actually fighting Sulecki.

I understand that the networks and their partners have to look out for their own interests. That’s business. I also understand the fans’ frustration.

Good, bad, worse: What’s wrong with Edgar Berlanga?

A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD Edgar Berlanga appears to be a victim of his own success. When you knock out each of your first 16 opponents in the first round, people expect great things from you. And the 24-year-old from Brooklyn …

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Edgar Berlanga appears to be a victim of his own success.

When you knock out each of your first 16 opponents in the first round, people expect great things from you. And the 24-year-old from Brooklyn hasn’t been great in his last few fights, which has changed the way he’s perceived.

Berlanga’s latest so-so performance came Saturday, when he defeated veteran Steve Rolls by a unanimous decision in New York City.

The judges obviously thought Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) did enough to earn the decision but he didn’t do much of anything. He stalked his elusive opponent but threw and landed few punches, although he fought with more urgency in the last few rounds.

He seemed to blame Rolls (21-2, 12 KOs) afterward, saying he had to chase the reluctant 37-year-old Canadian the entire fight. Well, if that’s true, it’s his job to cut off the ring and he failed to do that.

And Rolls did a pretty good job for a frightened opponent, making almost every round competitive by sticking and moving. It was a solid game plan and he employed it effectively, at least enough to frustrate Berlanga much of the fight.

So what went wrong for Berlanga?

One problem: 16 consecutive first-round knockouts to start his career means he gained less than 16 full rounds of experience in those fights. That’s nothing. He had an extensive amateur career but he remains raw as a professional.

Another possible problem: Berlanga just isn’t as good as we thought he was. He looked terrific during his knockout streak, ordinary against Marcelo Coceres and Rolls.

One more possible problem: He reportedly works with several trainers, which might be overkill. He might be trying to process too information, which is difficult for a young fighter. Perhaps he needs to settle on one trainer and see how things go.

The good news for Berlanga – and the reason he’s categorized as GOOD here – is that he’s young, he has good backing and, yes, he has some talent.

He could still realize the destiny he sees for himself if he acknowledges that he has a lot of room to grow and takes the proper steps to do so.

 

BAD

Steve Rolls (left) gave a solid performance in defeat against Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night.    Al Bello / Getty Images

I scored Berlanga-Rolls 96-94 – six rounds to four – for Rolls, who I thought outworked Berlanga much of the fight.

Was he robbed? No. I thought it was a close fight that could’ve gone either way. I also believe that Berlanga had the advantage of being the “house” fighter, the fighter expected to win, which might account for the two 97-93 scores in his favor.

In my opinion, Rolls at least came close to pulling off what would’ve been the biggest victory of his career, one that would’ve moved him a giant step closer to his dream of fighting for a world championship.

Now, who knows whether that will ever happen for him? He turns 38 next month, which might mean the fight against Berlanga was his last on a big stage.

I fear that Rolls will be remembered exclusively for his failed attempt to take down future Hall of Famer Gennadiy Golovkin, who stopped him in brutal fashion in the fourth round in June 2019.

I hope that those who saw the fight on Saturday night don’t forget that he gave a solid performance against a highly regarded opponent even if he was overly concerned about Berlanga’s power. He proved in that fight that he’s a good fighter.

 

WORSE

 

Jermall Charlo will defend his middleweight title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18.

Boxing’s territorial nature has destroyed another great potential fight.

Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo and contender Jaime Munguia – both highly regarded, undefeated fighters – were near an agreement to fight in June. And then the talks fell apart, which leaves us with Charlo vs. Maciej Sulecki instead.

I won’t even try to unpack the reasons in detail other than to say that it came down to the networks. DAZN (Munguia) wanted to be part of a joint pay-per-view and Showtime wouldn’t agree to that, instead offering to give DAZN the rematch.

Just like that, a wonder matchup was dead, at least for now.

There’s nothing wrong with Charlo’s fight with Sulecki, a solid contender from Poland who has a victory over Gabriel Rosado. I look forward to the fight.

The problem is that a matchup between Charlo and Munguia – who have a combined record of 71-0, with 53 knockouts – is one of the better possible fights in the sport. Charlo is one of the best in the business and Munguia is moving steadily in that direction.

That’s why I know I wasn’t the only one who was disappointed to learn that Charlo had gone from the possibility of fighting Canelo Alvarez to probably fighting Munguia to actually fighting Sulecki.

I understand that the networks and their partners have to look out for their own interests. That’s business. I also understand the fans’ frustration.

Edgar Berlanga gets past Steve Rolls in spite of another shaky performance

Edgar Berlanga got past veteran Steve Rolls in spite of another shaky performance Saturday in New York City.

Edgar Berlanga is fortunate that he’s still undefeated.

The slugger from Brooklyn gave a flat performance against Steve Rolls but emerged with a questionable unanimous-decision victory in a 10-round super middleweight bout Saturday night at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.

Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) stalked his veteran opponent from beginning to end but had trouble cutting off the ring, didn’t throw a lot of punches and landed no memorable shots the entire fight.

Rolls (21-2, 12 KOs) didn’t do a hell of a lot, either, but he made almost every round competitive with his stick-and-move tactics, which frustrated Berlanga. That included a number of eye-catching straight rights that Berlanga couldn’t see coming.

The 37-year-old Canadian probably was at his best in the middle rounds, when he picked up his pace and clearly outworked his plodding foe.

Berlanga fought with some urgency down the stretch. However, even then he couldn’t take complete charge of the fight.

The judges obviously thought Berlanga did enough to have his hand raised. The final scores were 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94, all his favor. Boxing Junkie scored it 96-94 (six rounds to four) for Rolls, who gave arguably the best performance of his career.

Berlanga, 24, has now gone the distance in his last three fights after winning each of his first 16 by first-round knockout, which made him a sensation.

And this was his second consecutive shaky performance. He survived a ninth-round knockdown to outpoint Marcelo Esteban Coceres last October, although he reportedly tore a biceps muscle early in the fight.

Is he not as good as he appeared to be during his knockout streak? Is he a power puncher and little more? Or is winning all that matters for a young fighter who is still developing?

Fans undoubtedly are asking these type of questions after a less-than-inspiring performance in the Big Apple.

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Edgar Berlanga gets past Steve Rolls in spite of another shaky performance

Edgar Berlanga got past veteran Steve Rolls in spite of another shaky performance Saturday in New York City.

Edgar Berlanga is fortunate that he’s still undefeated.

The slugger from Brooklyn gave a flat performance against Steve Rolls but emerged with a questionable unanimous-decision victory in a 10-round super middleweight bout Saturday night at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.

Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) stalked his veteran opponent from beginning to end but had trouble cutting off the ring, didn’t throw a lot of punches and landed no memorable shots the entire fight.

Rolls (21-2, 12 KOs) didn’t do a hell of a lot, either, but he made almost every round competitive with his stick-and-move tactics, which frustrated Berlanga. That included a number of eye-catching straight rights that Berlanga couldn’t see coming.

The 37-year-old Canadian probably was at his best in the middle rounds, when he picked up his pace and clearly outworked his plodding foe.

Berlanga fought with some urgency down the stretch. However, even then he couldn’t take complete charge of the fight.

The judges obviously thought Berlanga did enough to have his hand raised. The final scores were 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94, all his favor. Boxing Junkie scored it 96-94 (six rounds to four) for Rolls, who gave arguably the best performance of his career.

Berlanga, 24, has now gone the distance in his last three fights after winning each of his first 16 by first-round knockout, which made him a sensation.

And this was his second consecutive shaky performance. He survived a ninth-round knockdown to outpoint Marcelo Esteban Coceres last October, although he reportedly tore a biceps muscle early in the fight.

Is he not as good as he appeared to be during his knockout streak? Is he a power puncher and little more? Or is winning all that matters for a young fighter who is still developing?

Fans undoubtedly are asking these type of questions after a less-than-inspiring performance in the Big Apple.

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Steve Rolls: ‘I’m sure (Berlanga) could’ve taken an easier route’

Steve Rolls: ‘I’m sure (Edgar Berlanga) could’ve taken an easier route.

Steve Rolls is a solid opponent for Edgar Berlanga on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York (ESPN, ESPN+).

The one-time amateur star from Toronto, now 37, has relied on his formidable skill set to outclass most of his opponents. And he can punch a little. His last two victories have come by knockout, including a ninth-round stoppage over Christopher Brooker in December.

Rolls’ problem is that he was blown out the only time he faced an elite opponent, Gennadiy Golovkin, who stopped him in four rounds in June 2019.

That performance seemed to expose Rolls’ limitations. However, he still believes in himself. And he’s pretty sure that Berlanga knows he’s no pushover.

“I think he wants to step up and get closer to a world title shot,” Rolls said. “He wants a challenge. That’s why they chose me. I’m sure he could have taken an easier route. But credit to him for picking an opponent of my caliber. I’m going to bring experience into this fight.”

That includes his bad experience.

Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) was reasonably competitive with Golovkin for three-plus rounds. Then he was hurt by a left hand, which led to his demise. Moments late another huge left put Rolls on his face and out.

The Canadian believes lessons learned in that fight will help him against Berlanga and beyond. He still dreams of winning a world championship.

“I still got big goals that I have and that I need to accomplish,” he said. “That’s all that [Golovkin] fight was. It wasn’t a fight where I was getting blown out or wasn’t competitive. I made a mistake. He has experience. And I think that’s going to serve me well on Saturday night.”

“I have goals. I want to put a world title around my waist, so we both have pressure on us. He’s not the only one with pressure. This is a fight that we both need.”

Steve Rolls: ‘I’m sure (Berlanga) could’ve taken an easier route’

Steve Rolls: ‘I’m sure (Edgar Berlanga) could’ve taken an easier route.

Steve Rolls is a solid opponent for Edgar Berlanga on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York (ESPN, ESPN+).

The one-time amateur star from Toronto, now 37, has relied on his formidable skill set to outclass most of his opponents. And he can punch a little. His last two victories have come by knockout, including a ninth-round stoppage over Christopher Brooker in December.

Rolls’ problem is that he was blown out the only time he faced an elite opponent, Gennadiy Golovkin, who stopped him in four rounds in June 2019.

That performance seemed to expose Rolls’ limitations. However, he still believes in himself. And he’s pretty sure that Berlanga knows he’s no pushover.

“I think he wants to step up and get closer to a world title shot,” Rolls said. “He wants a challenge. That’s why they chose me. I’m sure he could have taken an easier route. But credit to him for picking an opponent of my caliber. I’m going to bring experience into this fight.”

That includes his bad experience.

Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) was reasonably competitive with Golovkin for three-plus rounds. Then he was hurt by a left hand, which led to his demise. Moments late another huge left put Rolls on his face and out.

The Canadian believes lessons learned in that fight will help him against Berlanga and beyond. He still dreams of winning a world championship.

“I still got big goals that I have and that I need to accomplish,” he said. “That’s all that [Golovkin] fight was. It wasn’t a fight where I was getting blown out or wasn’t competitive. I made a mistake. He has experience. And I think that’s going to serve me well on Saturday night.”

“I have goals. I want to put a world title around my waist, so we both have pressure on us. He’s not the only one with pressure. This is a fight that we both need.”

Edgar Berlanga says adversity is just what he needed

Edgar Berlanga says adversity was just what he needed in his tough test against Marcelo Coceres.

Edgar Berlanga endured stiff resistance from Marcelo Esteban Coceres last October, a fight in which he tore his left biceps in the third of 10 rounds, went down in the ninth and won a unanimous decision.

And he believes he’s a better fighter as a result. Facing obstacles, he said, is how one grows as a fighter.

“It’s about adversity,” said Berlanga, who faces veteran Steve Rolls on Saturday in New York (ESPN, ESPN+). “… I just feel I needed that for my career, especially being this young. I know I was going to come out of that adversity because having a torn biceps in the third round and fighting seven rounds like that, a lot of fighters would have quit because the pain is just ridiculous.

“But I took it as it came. We got the victory.”

Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) was a victim of the standards he set for himself. The 24-year-old from Brooklyn became a sensation by stopping each of his first 16 opponents in the first round, which led fans to expect the same even when he stepped up his opposition.

That didn’t happen. Demond Nicholson lost a wide eight-round decision to Berlanga in April but was standing at the final bell. And he received the scare against Coceres, although the Argentine won only three rounds on each of the official cards.

Berlanga had the biceps surgically repaired a few days after the fight and it has healed.

Of course, all of that is behind him. He’s now focused on earning his first opportunity to fight for a major world title. He’s ranked No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 by the WBA, meaning he’s moving in the right direction.

Indeed, if he can beat Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) and continue to win, a title shot will come soon. But that doesn’t mean he has forgotten about his fans, who hopped on board the Berlanga Train because of his ability to whack out opponents.

He suggested, in so many words, that you shouldn’t look away once the opening bell rings on Saturday.

“I don’t like to predict nothing,” he said. “He’s a tough veteran. He went in there with the best. And for me, I’m just looking forward to putting on a show. I’m ready to blow the roof off this place.

“I’m just ready to explode. It’ll be fireworks like always.”

Edgar Berlanga says adversity is just what he needed

Edgar Berlanga says adversity was just what he needed in his tough test against Marcelo Coceres.

Edgar Berlanga endured stiff resistance from Marcelo Esteban Coceres last October, a fight in which he tore his left biceps in the third of 10 rounds, went down in the ninth and won a unanimous decision.

And he believes he’s a better fighter as a result. Facing obstacles, he said, is how one grows as a fighter.

“It’s about adversity,” said Berlanga, who faces veteran Steve Rolls on Saturday in New York (ESPN, ESPN+). “… I just feel I needed that for my career, especially being this young. I know I was going to come out of that adversity because having a torn biceps in the third round and fighting seven rounds like that, a lot of fighters would have quit because the pain is just ridiculous.

“But I took it as it came. We got the victory.”

Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) was a victim of the standards he set for himself. The 24-year-old from Brooklyn became a sensation by stopping each of his first 16 opponents in the first round, which led fans to expect the same even when he stepped up his opposition.

That didn’t happen. Demond Nicholson lost a wide eight-round decision to Berlanga in April but was standing at the final bell. And he received the scare against Coceres, although the Argentine won only three rounds on each of the official cards.

Berlanga had the biceps surgically repaired a few days after the fight and it has healed.

Of course, all of that is behind him. He’s now focused on earning his first opportunity to fight for a major world title. He’s ranked No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 by the WBA, meaning he’s moving in the right direction.

Indeed, if he can beat Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) and continue to win, a title shot will come soon. But that doesn’t mean he has forgotten about his fans, who hopped on board the Berlanga Train because of his ability to whack out opponents.

He suggested, in so many words, that you shouldn’t look away once the opening bell rings on Saturday.

“I don’t like to predict nothing,” he said. “He’s a tough veteran. He went in there with the best. And for me, I’m just looking forward to putting on a show. I’m ready to blow the roof off this place.

“I’m just ready to explode. It’ll be fireworks like always.”

Edgar Berlanga vs. Steve Rolls: date, time, how to watch, background

Edgar Berlanga vs. Steve Rolls: date, time, how to watch, background.

Unbeaten super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga is set to face veteran Steve Rolls on Saturday in New York City.

Edgar Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) vs. Steve Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, March 19
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Madison Square Garden Theater, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Cost: ESPN+ is $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually
  • Division: Super middleweight
  • Rounds: 10
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Berlanga 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Quincy LaVallais, junior middleweights; John Bauza vs. Tony Luis, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Berlanga KO 10
  • Background: Berlanga got off to a remarkable start in his career, stopping his first 16 opponents in the first round, but he has looked human in his last two outings. Demond Nicholson took the 24-year-old New Yorker the eight-round distance in April of last year, although Berlanga won easily. Then, in his first 10-rounder last October, he survived a knockdown in Round 9 to win a unanimous-decision victory over surprisingly stubborn Marcelo Esteban Coceres. Berlanga is ranked No. 6 by the WBO and No. 13 by the WBA, meaning a title shot is on the horizon if he continues to win. Rolls might also test Berlanga. The 37-year-old Canadian is best known for getting blown out in four rounds by Gennadiy Golovkin – his only elite foe – in June 2019 but he’s a well-schooled boxer-puncher who should give Berlanga some resistance. Rolls rebounded from the loss to Triple-G by stopping Gilberto Perez dos Santos in January 2020 and Christopher Brooker this past December.