Edgar Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) registered a victory against his warm-up opponent Jason Quigley (20-3, 14 KOs) in New York’s Hula Theater. The fight ended with scorecards of 116-108, 116-108, and 118-106 for Berlanga.
Though victorious, Berlanga had a rocky performance with his corner persistently reprimanding him for allowing Quigley’s counterattacks. Do you think it was Quigley’s speed and technical boxing prowess that left Berlanga at a disadvantage?
As the pressure from his team mounted, Berlanga began swinging wildly, only to be countered further by Quigley. A thought arises: what if Berlanga were up against powerhouse super middleweights like David Benavidez or David Morrell Jr? Could those counterattacks have cost him the fight?
Post-fight, Eddie Hearn voiced his desire to see Berlanga up against Jaime Munguia or Gennadiy Golovkin. However, the probability of these contenders accepting the fight against Berlanga appears bleak.
It’s likely Hearn may resort to utilizing one of his own pugilists, such as Billy Joe Saunders or John Ryder, as Berlanga’s next opponents. These matchups would be on par with Quigley’s challenge.
To bait Canelo into a fight against Berlanga following his three-fight contract with PBC, Hearn might need to risk putting forth the likes of David Benavidez or David Morrell Jr. After all, it seems improbable he’ll acquire the Oscar De La Hoya-promoted Jaime Munguia, correct? And let’s not forget, the 41-year-old Gennadiy Golovkin doesn’t seem eager to return to the ring to face Berlanga.
Unusual for a victor, Berlanga was not pleased post-match. Giving himself a “C” grade, he faulted Quigley for making him appear inadequate, attributing it to Quigley’s survivalist fight approach.
His frustration was palpable. He seemed disappointed rather than triumphant, having won by a substantial twelve round unanimous decision. He accused Quigley of fighting defensively, a departure from his past opponents who were an easy knock-out.
Top Rank’s choice of mediocre opponents for his initial 16 matches might have inflated Berlanga’s perception of his punching prowess. Would you agree?
Berlanga did send Quigley to the canvas four times, but only two of those were legitimate knockdowns. The remaining were questionable calls by referee Harvey Dock, who seemed somewhat distracted.
In the fifth round, Quigley tripped over his own feet, but Dock erroneously credited Berlanga with a knockdown. In the twelfth, Berlanga forced Quigley down by pressing on his head, yet Dock surprisingly deemed it a knockdown.
