Whether you agree with this pick, one that makes Puerto Rican super-middleweight puncher Edgar Berlanga The 2020 Prospect Of The Year, you cannot argue with the 23 year old’s simply amazing numbers. Berlanga managed to get three fights in this year, this despite the chaos and cancelations the pandemic caused, yet no man managed to get past the opening round with him.
In fact, as you surely are aware, NO fighter has extended Berlanga past the first round, this in a pro career that began in April of 2016 and now boasts a record of 16-0(16) – all 1st round KO’s! That is quite something. And to repeat (from earlier articles written on the Top Rank fighter Bob Arum has compared to a young Mike Tyson in terms of raw punching power) – Berlanga has not been fed soft touches. Good fighters, all but three of them with winning records, fell at Berlanga’s feet.
All fight fans love a puncher and Berlanga’s KO streak has attracted plenty of attention. With time on his side, with what he says is real dedication and a desire to put in the hard work in the gym, Berlanga looks to have what it takes to go far. There are of course plenty of questions about Berlanga: How will HIS chin hold up when it’s hit with a power shot? Will he grow discouraged in a fight if it reaches the later rounds? How will Berlanga’s stamina hold up in a distance fight?
But right now, one of the biggest questions is, how many more consecutive first-round knockouts can this young and exciting warrior score? 2021 promises to be an interesting year for Berlanga, and maybe a very big year. Can Berlanga’s powerful fists take him all the way to a world title? Who knows. But it sure looks like it will be a lot of fun finding out.
Just imagine if Berlanga got to something like 20-0(20), or 22-0(22) – or beyond! We’ll all be tuning in to see what amazing numbers this fighter can compile.
There have been suggestions that Gabriel Rosado could face Berlanga some time next year. Now that would be a test for the young puncher. How impressed would you be if Berlanga took out Rosado inside a round!
