By Dan Ambrose: Matchoom promoter Eddie Hearn says he’ll be making a suggestion to Golden Boy fighter Jaime Munguia and his man, tremendous middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga struggle subsequent. Hearn believes that if Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) wins, he’ll be going through Canelo Alvarez subsequent yr.
In accordance with Hearn, DAZN needs the Berlanga vs. Munguia struggle, and he believes that makes it potential that it could possibly occur.
Nonetheless, Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya didn’t sound wanting to make that struggle lately following Berlanga’s twelve spherical unanimous resolution win over Jason Quigley final month on June twenty fourth. In reacting to Hearn saying he needed Berlanga to struggle Munguia subsequent, De La Hoya stated, ‘Good luck.”
Hearn isn’t taking no for a solution, and with him incessantly mentioning DAZN as those that may resolve if the Berlanga-Munguia struggle will occur, it feels like Golden Boy has no alternative however to make this struggle subsequent, whether or not they wish to or not.
Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) has to take the coaching wheels ultimately, as he’s a 10-year professional and he’s nonetheless preventing starter competitors, and it’s troubling {that a} man with 42 fights underneath his belt it nonetheless going through weak played-out previous veterans, shot to bits.
Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) regarded completely terrible in his latest struggle in opposition to Irish fighter Quigley, laboring to a formidable 12 spherical resolution, getting outboxed in lots of the rounds, and reaffirming within the minds of the followers that he a manufactured hype job to promote tickets by his earlier promoters High Rank.
DAZN will resolve if Berlanga-Munguia occurs
“Much less possible for the spring, however we’ll see what occurs,” stated Eddie Hearn to Fighthype about Edgar Berlanga not prone to struggle Canelo Alvarez within the first quarter of 2024 now that he’s signed with PBC for a three-fight deal.
“Actually, we wish to make Edgar Berlanga. We predict that’s an awesome struggle, and if Edgar wins that struggle, which I believe he does, you gained’t have the ability to cease him from taking a Canelo Alvarez struggle.
“I believe it’ll be big. Whether or not that’s with us and the PBC or when Canelo finishes his multi-fight deal, I believe that’s an choice as nicely,” stated Hearn.
If Canelo fights the 226-year-old Berlanga with out first going through David Benavidez or David Morrell Jr, the backlash can be so big that his head will spin. If Canelo thinks he’s getting it now for preventing the soft-touch John Ryder or hand-picking Jermell Charlo from the 154-lb division, simply wait till he chooses Berlanga.
Preventing him with out first going through Benavidez and/or Morrell would taint Canelo’s legacy, making him appear like a career-long cherry-picker.
What Hearn needs to be doing is making an attempt to construct Berlanga into fighter by placing him in in opposition to more and more higher competitors as a substitute of being in a mad hurry for a cash-out struggle that he doesn’t deserve in opposition to Canelo.
Does Berlanga deserve a struggle in opposition to Canelo? Nope. If Hearn needs Berlanga to struggle Canelo, he ought to run the gauntlet by these killers first to EARN the struggle:
1. David Morrell Jr
2. Demetrius Andrade
3. David Benavidez
4. Dmitry Bivol
5. Janibek Alimkhanuly
6. Artur Beterbiev
“Yeah, it’s right down to DAZN,” stated Hearn when requested if he thinks he can work out a deal for a struggle between Berlanga and Munguia. DAZN has informed us they waant to make Berlanga in opposition to Munguia.
So there it’s. Golden Boy has no alternative however to let Hearn have Munguia for Berlanga’s tackling dummy to provide him some false credibility to struggle Canelo.
If Hearn can do that to pressure Golden Boy to permit him to make use of Munguia as Berlanga’s subsequent opponent, you bought to surprise if there’s anybody else in De La Hoya’s steady that Eddie needs to choose from to feed to one in all his Matchroom steady fighters.
If Hearn can pressure Golden Boy to permit him to choose aside his steady, utilizing it as a farm system for his Matchroom fighters, it places De La Hoya in a troublesome place, weakening his firm and cleansing it out.
“Frank Smith [of Matchroom] had a gathering with [Golden Boy Promotions president] Eric Gomez in Los Angles to speak about that struggle,” stated Heaarn in regards to the Berlanga vs. Munguia talks. “They’re up for the struggle, and so is DAZN.
“I’ve talked to Keith Connolly, and we’re going to be placing a suggestion to Edgar Berlanga for that struggle. I assume they’ll be placing a suggestion to Munguia. Let’s see if we will make it occur.
“It’s a 50-50 struggle. I simply assume Edgar wins. It’s a battle. It’s Mexico vs. Puerto Rico. It’s such an amazing fashion match-up as nicely. So let’s try to make it occur,” stated Hearn in regards to the Berlanga vs. Munguia struggle, which can not occur.