Rewind to last week and the final presser ahead of last night’s excellent card in New York, and Edgar Berlanga was the man tearing into Oscar De La Hoya. Showing zero class, Berlanga threw a wig at De La Hoya, and the self-proclaimed “Chosen One” bellowed at the former multi-weight champion turned promoter how he was his “stripper.”
Why De La Hoya Gloated
De La Hoya fired back some verbals himself, with Oscar wondering aloud whether or not Berlanga’s jewellery was fake. Also, De La Hoya demanded to see Berlanga’s passport in order to prove he is, in fact, Puerto Rican. “I’m more Puerto Rican than you,” De La Hoya said to the man who had taken pleasure in dragging up his demons.
Now, after Berlanga has been demolished, humbled, and, we hope, silenced by Hamzah Sheeraz, who boxed and punched quite brilliantly in taking Berlanga out inside five rounds, this in his 168 and U.S debut – De La Hoya could not resist rubbing Berlanga’s defeat in his face.
In a short video that can be seen courtesy of FightHype, De La Hoya actually donned the wig Berlanga threw at him during the press conference, and Oscar could not stop laughing as he both congratulated Sheeraz and tormented Berlanga.
“Sheeraz, congratulations. Berlanga, oh my God, you got knocked out,” De La Hoya said, barely able to contain himself. “Oh my God, something Canelo Alvarez couldn’t do (laughs).”
Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it!
What Happens to Berlanga Now?
Berlanga, though, in all seriousness, faces one heck of a rebuild after what happened to him last night. Can Berlanga do it? Can he rebuild and come back stronger? Again, it will almost certainly be tough, and we must recall how the noted puncher was, in the lead-up to last night’s fight, going way too far with the trash-talk, and with his boasts, one of which was that he would go up to the heavyweight division one day. Berlanga may now opt to go into hiding, the blow to his ego too much.
As for Sheeraz, well, the plaudits have been pouring in, and rightly so. Humble, likeable, and ever so easy to root for, Sheeraz could be the new British star of the sport. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Now, can Sheeraz, who Turki Alalshikh has already said earned a massive fight with Canelo Alvarez after the crushing of Berlanga, go on and rule the world?
It sure is going to be great following Sheeraz’s career, as we watch how far he really can go.