Boxing has a new superstar knockout artist in the super middleweight division in Edgar Berlanga. A 168 puncher who has now revealed he’s KO’d more than one heavyweight.
Berlanga showcased his talents once again on Saturday night at the MGM Grand. The youngster battered Floyd Mayweather protege Lanell Bellows, an opponent who had never been stopped before during his career.
What made it even more startling was the fact it happened in the first round, just like every single one of Berlanga’s victories so far.
After the win, the great Mike Tyson was mentioning Berlanga on his social media as the secret surrounding this young, hunger puncher firmly got out.
Discussing his victory, the 23-year-old revealed there were some bad intentions on his part.
“For this fight, I really wanted to hurt this guy,” Berlanga told The AK and Barak Show on Sirius XM after his victory. “I remember him back in the Mayweather Gym, and I think he was downplaying me a little bit back then.
“Just the way he carried himself around me. Real funny, and I was like seventeen, eighteen years old. I was a baby, you know.
“Then I saw him in The Bubble, and the way he was walking and his coach was looking me up and down at the weigh-in.
“But I’m looking at Bellows, and I’m thinking, ‘this guy doesn’t even know what he’s got himself into.’ I wanted to prove that point.
“He’s never been stopped before, and I made that happen.”
HEAVYWEIGHT KO’S
On his capacity to keep on knocking people out, Berlanga uncovered sessions where he’d punished sparring partners weighing over 200 pounds. He also ratified his ideal weight class, for now.
“We were talking about doing a twelve-week camp and trying 160. But I’m young and I feel like I’m growing. Right now, I feel comfortable at 168.
“I feel like my power is on another level. I could move up to light heavyweight and match any light heavyweight out there. I’m not worried about my power. It’s just how comfortable I feel.
“I don’t even hit like a light heavyweight. But I was sparring heavyweights, and I was knocking them out. I was hurting them.
“They were telling me, ‘you don’t hit like a super middle or middleweight, your power is just different.'”
The New Yorker is fast becoming the most talked-about youngster in the sport due to his ability to entertain, albeit in a single round.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
