The Chosen One
By Eddie Sanchez
Brooklyn native, Edgar ‘The Chosen One’ Berlanga, attempted to continue his knockout streak this past Saturday, April 24, against the fairly unknown Desmond Nicholson. The 23 year old Super Middleweight star entered the bout 16-0, with 16 first round knockouts.
This meteoric start to his career had him sitting fourth on the list of most first round knockouts to start a career. Sitting first is the late Ali Raymi, who started his career with 22 first round knockouts. Despite the gap between the two in regards to the record in question, fans have taken notice and have already clamored for potential matchups with men like Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez.
Although historical implications were rooted within the minds of those surrounding Edgar, if you were to ask him, he simply wants to keep improving and represent his true potential as a complete fighter.
His showing on Saturday provided a mixture of pros and cons, as he wasn’t able to finish Desmond Nicholson off on his way to a wide unanimous decision victory.
The pros are simple. Berlanga has power, a strong chin, rarely gets flustered and agitated (at least so far against subpar competition). Unfortunately, there were some holes that were lightly exposed.
Berlanga will need to work on his technical skills. His defense and general movement will need to improve. He will need to offer a better work rate regarding combination punching and will need to put more focus on attacking the body. Oftentimes he head-hunts, which against lower levels of competition is generally not an issue, but as he seeks out the elites in his class, he will need to represent a balanced attack.
Considering his youthfulness, holes are acceptable, if not expected. His type of power can not be taught, and his power is elite. This is a skillset that he can easily improve upon given his natural abilities, assuming he is willing to put in the work, which so far, he has not give a reason for anyone to doubt.
There was an emphasis on the slight increase in competition that Desmond represented. Berlanga entered the bout as a -5000 favorite. This of course meant that you would have to be $5,000 to win $100. Although he was unable to finish off his opponent, he cruised to victory which is a positive sign.
After reviewing the highlights from this matchup, one might think I am being too harsh on the young Brooklyn native. The truth of the matter is that Edgar Berlanga had Desmon Nicholson hurt and in constant danger for the majority of the fight. If he offered a more balanced attack, the dazed mental stateDesmond Nicholson found himself in early would not have been able to last if his body were taken out from under him.
These are skills that he will surely learn and fine tune, and although his knockout streak is over, his star power is continuing to rise.
Bob Arum, his promoter, has fed into the fan anticipation with his most recent comments about Berlanga and a certain boxing superstar. “I really believe that if all things fall into place, a Berlanga-Canelo fight would be this generation’s Pacquiao-Mayweather. It definitely will be.”
That is a bold claim for the soon to be 24 year old Super Middleweight, but it is a welcome one. I would expect lighter steps to be taken in his immediate future however.
In a perfect world, a bout with David Morrell would be exciting. The 23 year old Cuban (4-0, 3 KOs) would offer a youthful opponent with the potential for building a true rivalry. Both young men are on similar trajectories and stages in their respective careers. The primary issue however is that each of them fights under different banners and with different promoters.
If both continue their pace, they will (hopefully, eventually…) cross paths, but in the meantime Edgar Berlanga should look for a higher ranked opponent that can offer him exposure.
After a quick scan, you will notice a name that sticks out like a sore thumb. David Lemieux. The Candian (42-4, 35 KOs) may look for higher profile opportunities, but given where he is at in his career, if Bob Arum is willing to pay an adequate price, this could be the perfect opportunity for Edgar Berlanga.
Lemieux has been in the ring with some of boxing’s elites like GGG and Billy Joe Saunders. He is supremely popular in North America, has power and (arguably) a questionable chin. That is a recipe for success for a young, powerful, hungry fighter on the rise.
David Lemieux also has maneuverability fighting under Eye of the Tiger Management. His promotion will be likely to collaborate with the larger counterparts, and Top Rank would fit the bill.
Unfortunately there may be some competition for his services. The benefits that David Lemieux offers could arguably be acceptable to all of the upper echelon Super Middleweights, so if Berlanga and his team are interested in David as an opponent, Bob Arum will have to act swiftly.
The knockout streak is over, which is unfortunate, but might provide a hidden positive. Top Rank will no longer need to focus on providing Edgar opportunities with showcase potential. Now, they can simply seek developmental bouts.
Edgar Berlanga’s future is bright. The Chosen One will have every opportunity to prove himself in the ring if he can dedicate the proper time to sharpen his craft. Fans must now wait for Bob Arum to make some calls and we will have a better sense of the direction Berlanga’s career will continue to go. Will he get another boost in competition, or will he get scheduled another lighter touch? Only time will tell.
