Brooklyn’s Edgar Berlanga will fight for the first time this Saturday night since his one-sided loss to former undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. The 27-year-old Puerto Rican descent is slated to square off against fellow countryman Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. However, Friday’s weigh-ins didn’t seem to have given him a great start to the fight.
‘The Chosen One’ failed to make weight for the fight, tipping the scale 1.6 pounds over the championship limit. Meanwhile, Gonzalez-Ortiz was able to weigh in under the stipulated weight limit at 167.4 pounds for their WBO NABO super middleweight title fight. Even though the fight itself will still unfold without a hitch on Saturday, Berlanga is ineligible for the title should he win.
Instead, the belt will now become vacant if Berlanga wins the fight, which he should be able to do. However, the question is, why did Berlanga fail to make weight? As it turns out, some health concerns caused him to stop cutting weight ahead of the fight. Speaking to Fight Hype following the weigh-in traditions, Berlanga revealed what had happened.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 05: Edgar Berlanga attends the Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga press conference on August 05, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
“People don’t know, right, but I had the flu,” Berlanga explained during the interview. “I was struggling with my health, and I knew that at a certain point, I was like, ‘Damn, man—I can’t do it.” Meanwhile, he also sent out a message to his followers, noting, “I take this sport very seriously, especially with my health.” He added that if he wanted, he could have pulled out of the fight, but he decided against it.
Regardless, this will be Berlanga’s last fight with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, which means he will become a free agent to target bigger fights against the likes of Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, and Jaime Munguia. Speaking of Caleb Plant, since the weigh-ins, ‘Sweethands’ might be trying to expose Berlanga.
Caleb Plant takes digs at Edgar Berlanga following weigh-ins
After Berlanga’s weigh-in, Plant took to X taking several digs at Berlanga for coming overweight. “Came in overweight and they renegotiated the contracted weight…come on ED,” he remarked. Plant went as far as to share a clip of Berlanga where the Brooklyn-born boxer can be seen sorting through snacks, claiming he doesn’t need to train for the fight.
Boxing: Benavidez vs Plant Mar 25, 2023 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA David Benavidez not pictured and Caleb Plant brown trunks box during their Interim WBC Super Middleweight Championship boxing bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoexCamporealex 20230325_jca_aa9_051
When a fan interjected to the clip, suggesting even Plant wouldn’t train for a fight like this, ‘Sweethands’ hit back with a reality check. “I made weight for my pro debut when I made $1500 & every fight since,” Plant wrote in a tweet. “A real fighter upholds their responsibilities because they chose this path. Not just when the moment feels big enough.”
Having said that, it appears Edgar Berlanga will have to fight through ill health in his fight against Gonzalez-Ortiz. And if things go his way, a potential fight against Caleb Plant might just be waiting for the 27-year-old. What are your thoughts on Berlanga’s final weigh-in?
The post “Had Flu”: Edgar Berlanga Drops Sad Health Update After Missing Weight for First Fight Since Canelo Alvarez Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.