Edgar Berlanga states that Hamzah Sheeraz was trying to back out of their fight, and they had to pressure him to go through with the clash. Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) is hoping to knock out Sheeraz (21-0-1, 18 KOs) in the first round on July 12th when they meet in the headliner at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Sheeraz Tried to Bail?
“I heard he was backing out from it. He didn’t want to take the fight, and he took it. They was pressing him to take the fight,” said Edgar Berlanga to the media about Hamzah Sheeraz. “I want Munguia, too, and I want that Canelo rematch. I think me being 100%. I went in and still did my thing.:
To get the Canelo rematch, it’s going to take more than a win over Sheeraz. He’s going to need to beat fighters like Caleb Plant, Christian Mbilli, Jaime Munguia, and Osleys Iglesias. Some of them might beat Berlanga. What could save him from having to fight those guys is Turki Alalshikh. If he chooses to make the fight quickly with Canelo, Berlanga won’t have to worry about taking those risky fights.
“You seen that guy Scull. He went in there and ran the whole 12 rounds, and you’re the IBF world champion. That’s what I don’t get. Then they want to say I ran. Are you crazy?” said Berlanga about the flak he received from fans for his performance against Canelo Alvarez.
It’s not that Berlanga ran against Canelo. It’s more of a case of him hanging back, jabbing, and letting the Mexican star be the aggressor in 11 of the 12 rounds. The only time Berlanga went on the attack was in the 12th, and by then it was too late. He waited too long. So, it’s not surprising that fans think he ran, played it safe, and didn’t try to win because that’s what he did.
Avoiding Embarrassment?
“They were saying I’m going to get knocked out in two rounds, and I made everybody eat their words. I don’t want to get embarrassed in front of 14,000 people. There will be celebs there in the front row,” said Berlanga about the crowd he expects will attend his fight against Sheeraz on July 12th at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Berlanga is going to have to fight hard if he doesn’t want to get embarrassed, because Sheeraz will be coming out fast. He didn’t look like much at the press conference, but he can punch with both hands. His jab is like a power punch. What he’s got going against him is his lack of experience. His promoters didn’t give him the right step up fights to prepare him for Berlanga and his last opponent, Carlos Adames.
“We don’t feel pressure. We grab that and we apply the pressure. We’re working hard, and we’re going out there to do what we do. 100% he lost. He knew that,” said Berlanga about Sheeraz in his last fight against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames on February 22nd.
Those are just words that Berlanga is saying because he wasn’t pressuring Canelo when they fought last September. He was backing up and just trying to survive. When he says he’s a pressure fighter, he’s talking about certain situations. If he’s facing vulnerable fighters, he’s a pressure fighter.
“Adames was out of shape. He got tired. If Adames was in shape and had conditioning, he would have stopped him,” said Edgar.
Adames couldn’t finish strong and knock out Hamzah because he’s not that good of a fighter. If he had the kind of talent that Janibek Alimkhanuly and Erislandy Lara possessed, he’d have finished off Sheeraz.
Berlanga: A True Vet?
“I’m a vet. I got that experience. So, now I’m off to the races. Now, I know I’m ready for all the smoke. Literally, all the smoke,” said Berlanga to Ring Magazine about how he gained experience from his fight against Canelo Alvarez last September.
Berlanga has only had one fight since his loss to Canelo, and that was against the ring-rusty, out-of-shape 35-year-old Jonathan Gonzalez Ortiz on March 15th. The Sheeraz fight will show whether Berlanga has improved since his clash against Canelo, because he can fight a little.
