He also does not need this fight. Berlanga was stopped in five rounds by Hamzah Sheeraz. There is not much upside in beating someone coming off that kind of loss, and losing to him would be hard to justify.
Berlanga, 28, dropped a wide decision to Canelo Alvarez in September 2024, then returned in March 2025 with a first-round knockout of 35-year-old Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz. That was a manageable fight to steady him. Four months later, Sheeraz knocked him out.
The normal move after a defeat like that is a ranked opponent at super middleweight. Kevin Lele Sadjo, Bektemir Melikuziev, Isleys Iglesias, or Aslambek Idigov fit that path. Several of those fights would likely see Berlanga enter as the underdog, without the benefit of a major stage.
Instead, he has targeted Eubank Jr., who has spent much of the past few years campaigning at 160 pounds. Berlanga is the naturally bigger man at 168. Even at a catchweight, the size edge favors him more than it would against established contenders in the division.
Since losing to Billy Joe Saunders in 2014, Eubank Jr. has built his record on recognizable opposition such as Arthur Abraham, James DeGale, Liam Smith, and Conor Benn. In his world title fight with George Groves, he was outboxed over twelve rounds. He remains a viable headliner in Britain.
From Berlanga’s side, the logic is simple. Eubank Jr. is a name. London is a stage. The purse would be strong. If he is going to take another risky fight so soon after the Sheeraz defeat, doing it there makes more sense than facing a contender most casual fans barely know.
Read the full article here