Edgar Berlanga says he wants to “look like a star” in his fight against Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz this Saturday, March 15th, and then enter free agency to target the “big dogs” at super middleweight.
Berlanga’s bout with Gonzalez-Ortiz is the chief support bout on the Austin Williams vs. Patrice Volny card at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. It’s Edgar’s last on his contract with Matchroom, and he says he won’t re-sign with him because he wants to get with a promoter and sign with a network to start making the big money.
Leaving Matchroom
Promoter Eddie Hearn maneuvered Berlanga into a title shot against Canelo Alvarez last September, and he did a great job of getting him that big payday. Berlanga isn’t satisfied, and wants to keep getting those paydays. However, he lost badly to Canelo, and looked like he didn’t come to win. Alvarez dominated Berlanga, winning by the scores 118-109, 117-110 and 118-109.
Canelo didn’t knock out Edgar because he gassed out in the first half and fought at a leisurely pace in the second half. It looked like he was carrying Berlanga to prevent a backlash. Alvarez had already received a lot of criticism from fans for fighting him rather than David Benavidez.
Edgar says he’s the co-feature in the main event instead because he refused to sign an extension with Matchroom Boxing. He wanted to be the headliner in a card in Puerto Rico on March 8th, but was unhappy with the contracts Matchroom sent him.
“I can sell out any big stadium, 16,000, 17,000, 18,000. They put in a 2,000-seater. Come on, man. In Orlando, you’re going to have all my fans. You’re going to have 5,000, 6,000 people outside trying to buy tickets,” said Edgar Berlanga to Thaboxingvoice about the venue for his fight this Saturday against Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in Orlando, Florida.
Hearn would be crazy to book a big stadium with Berlanga fighting little known Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz, who recently came off of a 10-year layoff. The Puerto Rico native, Gonzalez-Ortiz, has fought two no-names since coming off his long break. He’s not well known enough for Hearn to stick his neck out, booking a large venue, especially Berlanga coming off a lopsided loss to Canelo.
Boss Moves
“It wasn’t a good move by Matchroom because they’re looking at the money instead of the relationship. We could have turned around and said, ‘We’re a free agent. Hey, Eddie [Hearn], we want to re-sign with you. What’s it looking like?’ I’m a boss. That man gets paid because of me. When I step in the ring, he gets paid. When you’re producing, selling tickets and have a fan base, you’re a boss.
“That’s a route that Canelo took. A route that Floyd Mayweather took, and the route that Gervonta Davis took. We bosses,” said Berlanga, comparing his situation to those fighters.
“He’s a fellow Puerto Rican brother. I’ve got to go in there and handle my business, put in that work and look like a star,” said Berlanga about his fight this Saturday against Gonzalez-Ortiz. “My main thing is to look good and catch a beautiful knockout. I want to start a streak again. I’m ready to show out.”
