The self-titled “King of New York,” Edgar Berlanga, will defend his throne tonight against Hamzah Sheeraz in a battle at 168 in Queens. Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) insists he’s not going to let the foreign invader, Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs), defeat him on his home turf in front of his fans at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Surprisingly, this is a WBC super middleweight title eliminator rather than just a regular fight. Berlanga should be fighting one of these guys:
– Osley Iglesias
– Christian Mbilli
– Diego Pacheco
Those three are more deserving of fighting in a title eliminator than Sheeraz. However, Berlanga’s chances of beating any of those three would be slim. They’re all better fighters than he is, and would likely beat Edgar more decisively than Canelo Alvarez did.
Sheeraz’s 168-lb Division Debut
Sheeraz is a newcomer to the 168-lb division and not one of the top contenders in the weight class. He failed his way into this headliner opportunity by fighting to a controversial 12-round draw against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames last February in Riyadh. That fight showed that Hamzah lacks the talent to be a world champion at 160.
“Berlanga ain’t won no world championship and ain’t done nothing, and he’s rich now after that Canelo fight,’ said Tim Bradley on his channel. “His confidence is at an all-time high. It’s the first person I’ve ever seen that lost a fight and had a parade afterwards. It’s odd to me. This [the loss] motivated him. He’s talking invincible and big stuff. He’d better back it up. Get this man up out of here.”
Boxing’s Unfair Title Opportunities
Berlanga was likely celebrating the $10 million that he got for the Canelo fight; hence, the parade in Puerto Rico to revel in his newfound wealth. He got this opportunity to fight for the title without beating one high-level contender. That was the disappointing part, and it should never have happened if boxing were run the way other sports are.
Last Updated on 07/12/2025
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