Edgar Berlanga claims he is not interested in taking on Caleb Plant, the former IBF super middleweight champion.
Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), is hoping to face Canelo Alvarez, the undefeated 168-pound champion, next, and he anticipates negotiations to start shortly. As of right now, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) is a free agent, and Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Promotions has only Berlanga to try and entice him back to DAZN for September.
Diego Pacheco, Hearn’s other 160-pound boxer, isn’t well-known enough to entice Canelo to come back to Matchroom for a single bout. Berlanga is the only person Hearn has left to entice Canelo back to DAZN, and if that bout takes place, fans will be incensed because they disapprove of Edgar’s quick route to the money match.
To get a crack at the title, Berlanga should fight Plant (22-2, 13 KOs), but it would be a risky contest that he might lose. Given that he is paying the New Yorker a substantial sum of money for signing him after he left Top Rank, Hearn is unlikely to be interested in putting Berlanga up against Plant in any case.
If the British promoter teams up Berlanga with Plant or another fighter who is keen to fight him, David Morrell, he will not see his money back. Like Plant, many boxing fans can see why Berlanga is unwilling to face Morrell.
“He started talking crazy. He’s not even Spanish,” said Berlanga in meadia reports.
“Why you here, bro?’ You got knocked out by Canelo, you got beat the f*** up by Benavidez, and you want to be in a Mexican territory and Latino territory? You just looking for a come-up. You looking for clout right now,’ and he seen me and he knows what time it is and he wants to get a fight,” he added.
Some boxing fans think Berlanga is trying to get a “come-up” by promoting a high-paying bout with Canelo without having to earn it by defeating a worthy opponent.
“‘You can’t f*** with me. You got knocked out by Canelo. You lost really bad to David. If you fight me,’ I’m going to going to end his career,” added Berlanga.
