Edgar Berlanga will look to make it two wins in a row when he takes on Hamzah Sheeraz on July 12th in New York.
Competing on an event that also includes Shakur Stevenson, Berlanga goes into the bout with his British rival with a 23-1 record.
The Puerto Rican was able to bounce back from his unanimous decision loss to Canelo Alvarez with a win in March, defeating Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz via TKO.
A win over Sheeraz would put Berlanga back into world title contention. However, ‘The Chosen One’ feels as if he has learned a lot from his loss to one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time.
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Edgar Berlanga speaks on Canelo Alvarez loss from 2024
As Alvarez bested Berlanga via unanimous decision to retain his unified super middleweight titles in September 2024, the loss is likely still fresh for the 28-year-old. Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Berlanga reflected on his loss to Alvarez.
The third round of the fight would see Alvarez land a left hook that put Berlanga down. Looking back on that moment, Berlanga said, “I took a left hook on my chin, bro. That shot didn’t hurt me, I wasn’t hurt at all.”
The Puerto Rican then expressed frustration, as he said he had practiced blocking the lead hook from Alvarez during his training camp.
In terms of the overall fight, Berlanga said, “That whole fight, I was in his face. I was talking —-. He [Sheeraz] would’ve got stopped if he fought Canelo.”
Regarding learning points Berlanga could take from the fight, the super middleweight contender said, “I feel like my IQ and everything went up a whole other level.”
According to Berlanga, Alvarez gave him praise after the fight. However, Berlanga has since said he no longer respects Alvarez, due to comments made in the months after the fight claiming he ‘ran’ from the Mexican.
Hamzah Sheeraz is looking to return to the win column against Edgar Berlanga
Although Berlanga is seeking his second consecutive win against Sheeraz, the British fighter is looking to bounce back from a lackluster draw.
There was no winner when Sheeraz met Carlos Adames in February, as the pair fought to a split draw. This would see Sheeraz’s record change to 21-0-1.
It was also Sheeraz’s last outing at middleweight, as he will be making his professional debut at 168 lbs when he takes on Berlanga in New York.
Bookmakers currently have the bout very close, with Sheeraz a slight betting favorite.