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Edgar Berlanga Fails To Impress, Ekes Out Unanimous Decision Over Steve Rolls
By: Hans Themistode
Edgar Berlanga was far from pleased with his previous performance in the ring. For the first time in his young career, not only did Berlanga fail to drop his opponent but he also crashed face-first to the canvas. With the 24-year-old forced to undergo subsequent surgery to repair a torn left bicep, he promised to return a much better fighter. However, despite his promise, Berlanga was far from the hellacious knockout puncher many pegged him out as.
Although normally aggressive, Berlanga came out much more lethargic and somewhat methodical at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. He kept his hands up high and attempted to walk Rolls down. Unwilling to get into a firefight with his much younger and stronger opponent, Rolls boxed and moved on the outside while snapping Berlanga’s head back with a consistent jab.
A visibly flustered Berlanga attempted to employ the same tactics in round two. However, as Rolls continued to bounce around the ring, Berlanga threw his hands up in frustration. Still, despite imploring his man to walk to the center of the ring and throw down with him, Rolls opted to box.
Rolls continued his momentum in much of the third round. He danced, moved, and landed persistent jabs through the third and fourth rounds. Seldom would Berlanga push his own jab into the face of his man, although his corner urged him to do so.
In the fifth, Berlanga upped his aggression. He pinned Rolls against the ropes and unloaded on two quick and thunderous shots. Even with Rolls appearing to be on unsteady legs, Berlanga refused to let his hands go. Instead, much to the chagrin of the New York crowd, Berlanga backed off and allowed Rolls to get back to the center of the ring.
Although initially, Berlanga’s hometown crowd cheered him on, they booed relentlessly as their normally pernicious knockout puncher refused to go in for the kill.
In the eighth, Rolls stood his ground. He met Berlanga in the center of the ring and connected on a clean three-punch combination. Although Berlanga’s aggression was few and far between, his motor was kicked into high gear in the final two rounds.
Regardless of his attempts to get back to his knockout ways, Rolls managed to avoid any huge shots of Berlanga while making it to the final bell. In the end, regardless of his somewhat lackluster performance, Berlanga kept his perfect record intact, winning a close unanimous decision on the night.
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Edgar Berlanga Views Previous Fight As Blessing In Disguise: “I Needed That For My Career”
By: Hans Themistode
Everything was going according to plan for Edgar Berlanga…right until it wasn’t.
The highly touted super middleweight prospect built a name for himself through his sheer power, resulting in his first 16 contests ending in the very first round. Although Berlanga’s streak came to an end against Demond Nicholson, he pounded his man while scoring several knockdowns on the night.
However, during Berlanga’s most recent ring appearance, he found himself in a real fight. On October 9th, 2021, Berlanga strolled to the ring as a sizable favorite against Marcelo Esteban Coceres. Even with Berlanga dominating most of the action, Coceres had his moments, including in the ninth where he dropped his much younger opponent.
Shortly after Berlanga’s name was called to the winner’s circle, it was revealed that he fought on a torn left bicep for much of the night. Considering the severity of the injury, and tasting the canvas for the first time in his young career, Berlanga was visibly frustrated with himself. That said, as he prepares to re-enter the ring this Saturday night against Steve Rolls at Madison Square Garden, Berlanga is looking back on his trying time against Coceres with appreciation.
“I needed that for my career,” said Berlanga during a recent press conference. “I needed that adversity. Every fighter goes through that in their career. I knew I was going to make it out of that adversity because having a torn bicep in the third round and fighting seven rounds like that, a lot of fighters would’ve quit. We took it how it came and now we’re here and ready for Saturday.”
Madison Square Garden represents a harrowing venue for the Canadian Rolls. In his lone trip through those famed doors, Rolls suffered the first and only loss of his career. In June of 2019, Rolls was steamrolled at the hands of Gennadiy Golovkin, succumbing to his sickening power in the fourth round. Berlanga, of course, would love nothing more than to outdo Golovkin and push Rolls into the New York streets, courtesy of a violent early knockout.
Still, while Berlanga is normally loquacious before stepping into the ring, he refrained from making any bold claims. Instead, the 24-year-old is just hoping to give the crowd something to cheer about.
“I don’t like to predict nothing but he’s a tough veteran, he’s been in there with the best. I’m just looking forward to putting on a show. Fireworks like always.”
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Edgar Berlanga Reportedly Returning To The Ring Against Steve Rolls On March 19th
By: Hans Themistode
2021 didn’t go exactly the way Edgar Berlanga was expecting.
During the first four years of Berlanga’s career, judges were given the night off. No matter who the New York native entered the ring against, he quickly and violently ended his bouts. Most notably, Berlanga had earned a reputation as being one of boxing’s most deleterious punchers, stopping his first 16 opponents in the first round.
For the first time in his career, however, Berlanga was forced to go the distance against Demond Nicholson in the first half of 2021. At the tail end of the year, Berlanga was faced with even more adversity, eking out a close unanimous decision against fringe contender Marcelo Esteban Coceres.
During the bout, Berlanga hit the deck for the first time in his young career. Also, to make matters worse, the heavy-hitting 168 pound prospect suffered a torn bicep. With the injury healing well, Berlanga is now set to return to the ring against arguably the most difficult opponent of his career.
As first reported by BoxingScene.com, Berlanga will headline at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York against Steve Rolls on March 19th.
Although the Canadian native was thoroughly defeated at the hands of Gennadiy Golovkin, Rolls has brushed off the stoppage defeat to register back-to-back knockout victories of his own. Most recently, Rolls carefully dissected journeymen Christopher Brooker on December 17th, 2021, stopping him in the ninth round.
Should Berlanga return to his destructive ways, Top Rank, the promotional banner in which Berlanga fights under, could place him in position to increase his star power.
On Sunday, June 12th, the streets of Manhattan in New York will be filled with Berlanga’s Puerto Rican countrymen in celebration of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. One day prior, Top Rank could place Berlanga in the main event once again to accentuate his growing audience.
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Artur Beterbiev Vs. Marcus Browne Undercard Results: Steve Rolls Stops Christopher Brooker
For the second consecutive time this year, Christopher Brooker (16-9, 6 KOs) has suffered defeat well before the sound of the final bell. The 30-year-old fringe contender was dominated by Steve Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) at Bell Centre in Montreal.
After pounding his man for much of their contest, Rolls ended things violently in the ninth, dropping and stopping Brooker once and for all.
