Edgar Berlanga was all too happy after losing to Canelo Alvarez via a lopsided 12-round decision last weekend, which suggests he doesn’t have the mentality of a winner.
Like others, Paulie Malignaggi didn’t like how happy Berlanga, 27, was after the fight, as if he had done something special not to be defeated by the much younger and lovelier Canelo of 34 years.
Berlanga treated the loss as a moral victory, going the distance, but not fighting hard or trying to win. He fought like a bigger version of Jermell Charlo, who was just there for the payday against Canelo, but didn’t want to come out on his shield like a warrior.
The 193 lb Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs), who should be competing at cruiserweight, acted like he did something special, winning a round or two against unified super middleweight champion Canelo at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. .
It’s not surprising that Berlanga was thrilled not to be defeated because he received a giant payday of millions that set him up for life. Also, being undefeated means there will be more good paying fights for Berlanga. If Canelo had stopped him, the chances for another money fight would have diminished.
“I’m not sorry that Berlanga’s shares are rising, but you have to let others give you credit for a moral victory. You can’t be so happy about a loss here,” Paulie Malignaggi told TV Probox channelDiscussing Edgar Berlanga who acts happy to have gone the 12-round distance against Canelo Alvarez last weekend.
Berlanga’s action did not resonate with hardcore boxing fans who watched the fight and noted that he did not try to win the Canelo fight. Casuals who don’t understand what they’re looking at will be happy that Berlanga did 12 rounds, but not anyone. Even if this was the first boxing match I ever watched, I would have been bothered by Berlanga’s lack of effort and it smelled like a rat. He didn’t try to win. He was only there for payday.
“For me, I was a little too happy for a guy who won one or two rounds in the fight and never tried to win the fight. So, there is a change in mentality next time when he is tested at this level. I wonder if a guy who thinks like that is capable of doing that,” Malignaggi said about Berlanga.
You could argue that Berlanga doesn’t take his own career seriously. The impression I got from listening to him and watching his previous 21 pro fights is that he knows what his career is all about. It’s just a big marketing gimmick to fight lesser fighters, build a winning record over fluff opposition, create a false image, and sell it to the public to make a lot of money.
It worked because Berlanga got a fight against Canelo without ever facing a world class opponent to get the title shot. Now it will be rinse and repeat. Berlanga beats more scrubs to get a second fight against Canelo or another popular guy who has no fighting business.
“I think that he and Mbilli is a fun fight. I think that he and Munguia is a fun fight. I don’t know if he is ready for Plant, because he showed a different equipment that can really take you in the McCumby fight . I hadn’t seen that side of Plant yet. He’s a great boxer, but Plant has a dog in him, too,” Malignaggi said.
Berlanga’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has already hinted that they will give him a soft opponent next in New York or Puerto Rico in early 2025. Hearn says he wants Berlanga to fight Munguia, Caleb Plant, or Jermall Charlo. Berlanga has other ideas. He wants to fight for the IBF title against the winner of the William Scull vs. Vladimir Shishkin fight. However, Berlanga may not have been aware of the IBF’s 10 lb rehydration limit. It would be nearly impossible for Berlanga to fight for the IBF belt if he re-hydrates to 193 lbs.
“I would like to see Berlanga against a hungry fighter like Mbilli, like Pacheco. It’s time for us to see if Berlanga has that fury. I didn’t see that killer instinct in the Canelo fight. I saw a guy who was happy to survive the distance and never try to win the fight. I need to see if he has the killer inside. He can mentally reach that place against high-caliber opposition? He hasn’t shown that to me yet, not even against Canelo,” Malignaggi said.
New Yorker Berlanga had never beaten a world-class opponent to get a title shot against Canelo in the first place. Berlanga, promoted by Eddie Hearn, won the title against Canelo by beating UK domestic level fighters Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrory.
It was disturbing that the World Boxing Association gave Berlanga a #1 ranking after beating those two lesser fighters. If the sport worked well, Berlanga should at least have to beat someone like Diego Pacheco, Osleys Inglesias, Christian Mbilli, or Jaime Munguia to get a #1 ranking with the WBA.
