Brooklyn, New York’s very own Edgar Berlanga can’t seem to ditch his villain-like persona. The man keeps getting made fun of on social media—and the latest statement from the 27-year-old was no exception. So, the deal is, ‘The Chosen One’ is about to fight for the first time since his one-sided loss to former undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in September last year.
His opponent? A rather unknown name from San Juan, Puerto Rico—Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz. It’s basically a tune-up fight before, as Berlanga puts it, fighting the best. Regardless, the Brooklyn-born puncher is mere days away from the fight on March 15th at the Caribe Royale Orlando, which by the way, will be his last fight under the Matchroom Boxing umbrella. However, he is already looking past his opponent.
Edgar Berlanga has big dreams
According to a post from The Ring, Berlanga shared another hit list, naming the three fighters he hopes to fight in the coming days. And it contained the usual suspects. “My hit list is Jaime Munguia, Caleb Plant, and Jermall Charlo,” he said. “Those are the ones we are looking at. To end the year with a bang.” You might be seeing a trend here.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: Saul Canelo Alvarez (R) punches Edgar Berlanga (L) during the WBC, WBA, WBO World Super Middleweight Championship fight at T-Mobile Arena on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
And you are right! Those are the fighters Canelo Alvarez has defeated in his fantastic run in the super middleweight division—except for Jermall. While ‘Sweethands’ Plant has welcomed a fight against Berlanga, the other two don’t seem possible at the very second. ‘Hit Man’ hasn’t fought since his win over Jose Benavidez Jr. in 2023 and Jaime Munguia must be eyeing a rematch against Bruno Surace after his upset loss.
Fight availability aside, Berlanga’s hit list failed to fill people with confidence about his chances against any of the fighters.
Berlanga gets flamed by fans
With his hit list out in the open, it didn’t take long for fans to share their thoughts—mostly harsh. One user predicted Berlanga would lose all three fights. “That’s three Ls back to back,” the user commented. Wild take—the Munguia fight could be close.
Meanwhile, the next user refused to believe Berlanga’s claim was genuine. “And guaranteed none of those happen,” the user wrote. If Berlanga wants big money fights, he will eventually have to fight one of them.
The next user also had a prediction for the three fights. “Edgar Berlanga is not beating any of them,” the user wrote. Despite his embarrassing loss to Canelo, Berlanga is a decent boxer who started his career with 16 knockouts.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 10: Edgar Berlanga poses after his weigh-in with Alexis Angulo at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
However, none of Berlanga’s accolades seem to convince people about his chances. “He about to go 0-3,” wrote another. Someone needs to work on their public perception—at this point, Berlanga isn’t playing a villain, he has become a joke.
Another user chimed in, stating that regardless of whether he could defeat the three boxers, he would celebrate the outcome. “Win or lose – World Tour Celebrations for Berlanga,” the user wrote. This is in reference to Berlanga boasting about going the distance against Canelo Alvarez, even though he lost the fight.
That said, Edgar Berlanga must redeem himself by not only facing the toughest opponents available but also defeating them convincingly. Whether he does that is yet to be seen, but until then, the jokes on him don’t seem to be stopping. What are your thoughts on Berlanga’s hit list?
The post Fans Fear the Worst as Edgar Berlanga Names 3 Future Opponents: “That’s Three Ls Back to Back” appeared first on EssentiallySports.