For 168-pound sensation Edgar Berlanga, there have been 14 fights, and 14 first-round knockouts . The 23-year-old Berlanga(14-0, 14 KOs) looks to continue his first-round knockout streak on Saturday when he takes on Lanell Bellows(20-5-3, 13 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight battle on the Lomachenko-Lopez undercard.
Bellows has never been stopped in his career, and Berlanga has not gone many rounds in his career. However, he’s prepared to go rounds with Bellows if necessary.
“I worked hard in the gym, and that’s what every fighter should be doing,” Berlanga said at a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “It’s just putting the hard work in the gym, so that way I know going into the fight, my mind is 100 percent prepared to go those rounds, which will eventually happen. I’ve just been working extremely hard.
“{Bellows} is going to come right at me. He’s that type of fighter. He’s smaller than me. He’s a smaller guy, so I know he’s going to bring the pressure. He’s going to bring the fight to me. I don’t see him trying to box me because I’m the bigger man. That’d be real stupid of him and a crazy game plan if they try to do that.”
Berlanga is still young, but he has his sights set on some of the big names in the super middleweight division, including Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez.
“I’ve been talking about the Canelo fight for a couple months already,” Berlanga said. “I know it’s going to happen. It’s gotta happen. If I continue to win in beautiful fashion and keep doing what I do best, I know that fight is going to happen. He’s Mexico; I’m Puerto Rico. He has a big country behind him. I have a big country behind me. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in boxing today. {David} Benavidez is another guy that I’m looking forward to stepping in the ring with in the future. It’s boxing. These fights gotta happen. It’s good for the sport. It’s good for the culture.”
Berlanga is growing in popularity because fans love big punchers, and he has shown that ability in his young career, and when the time comes for a big fight, Berlanga expects to be ready
“I’m 23 years old. I’m still developing as a fighter. I know I’m a killer, but I also know there are killers at 168. I just want to get 150 percent prepared for when the time comes,” he said. “I have the world in my hands right now. I’m a hot young prospect. I have Puerto Rico behind me. I’m knocking everyone out, and I just want to {advance} my career. Eventually, we’re going to step up to those big fights because that’s what I want. I want the big paydays. I want the big fights.”
Will Berlanga finally get out of the first round, or will the knockout streak continue? We will find out soon enough, but the first-round knockout streak will be tested against Bellows.
