by Tim Compton |
May 16, 2025 – Edgar Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) claims Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0-1, 18 KOs) was reluctant to accept their July 12th bout at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens. Berlanga told reporters, “I heard he was backing out… We had to pressure him to take the fight.”
The New York native is aiming for a first-round knockout and sees this fight as a step toward bigger names like Jaime Munguia and a Canelo Álvarez rematch. However, to earn that opportunity, Berlanga likely needs to beat top contenders like Caleb Plant, Christian Mbilli, and Osleys Iglesias—no easy task. Unless promoter Turki Alalshikh fast-tracks the Canelo fight, Berlanga may have to take on those risks.
Addressing criticism from his previous bout with Canelo, Berlanga defended his performance: “They want to say I ran. Are you crazy?” While he didn’t exactly run, many fans felt he played it safe—backpedaling and jabbing while letting Canelo control most of the action. He only pressed forward in the final round, which wasn’t enough to sway the judges or the crowd.
Looking ahead to the Sheeraz fight, Berlanga emphasized the pressure of performing in front of a star-studded audience. “There will be celebs there in the front row,” he said. “I don’t want to get embarrassed in front of 14,000 people.”
Berlanga criticized Sheeraz’s resume, saying he lacked the right step-up fights to prepare for this level. He also questioned Sheeraz’s performance in a February bout against Carlos Adames: “If Adames was in shape, he would’ve stopped him.”
Despite doubts from fans, Berlanga insists he’s evolved. “I’m a vet… I’m ready for all the smoke,” he told Ring Magazine. His lone fight since losing to Canelo was against a rusty, 35-year-old Jonathan González Ortiz. Whether he’s truly improved will be tested when he faces Sheeraz in July.
