The bout marks Berlanga’s first appearance since suffering a fifth-round knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz last July in Queens, New York. Before the defeat, the Brooklyn native had rebounded from his unanimous decision loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez with a victory over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz.
Butler enters the fight riding momentum after moving up to the super middleweight division. The Canadian has recorded four consecutive knockout victories at 168 pounds, defeating Fernando Farias, Jose Macias, Stephane Fondjo and Ramadan Hiseni.
EOTTM president Camille Estephan believes Butler is arriving in New York at the right time in his career.
“I can’t compare Berlanga to Janibek and Murata, but I can assure you that the Steven Butler who will fight in New York has nothing in common with the boxer he was five years ago. The power has always been there, but with the maturity he now possesses and the physical strength he has developed at super middleweight, I would even go so far as to say that a Steven who sticks to his game plan is the favorite against Berlanga,” said Estephan.
Butler echoed that confidence ahead of what will be another opportunity to perform on a major stage.
“I’ve proven that I’m ready to return to the international stage. I’ve fought in Japan, so New York doesn’t intimidate me. In fact, it’s perfect because it’s not too far from my training camp in Connecticut. As for the rest, I’m working hard, and I plan to seize my opportunity in New York. You’ll see. This is my moment,” Butler said.
The card will also feature former junior welterweight titleholder Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) making his welterweight debut against Ricardo “Magic Man” Salas (24-2-2, 18 KOs).
Berlanga rose to prominence by winning his first 18 professional bouts by first-round knockout. The 29-year-old later challenged Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight championship in September 2024 before falling short on the scorecards.
Tickets for the event will go on sale July 19 through Ticketmaster.
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