_1645077440.jpg)
Last Saturday night, super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga (19-0 16 KOs) picked up a less than impressive ten round unanimous decision win over Steve Rolls.
It was Berlanga’s first bout since a complicated victory in his last fight in November of 2021, when he suffered an injury to his left arm. Marcelo Coceres, the opponent in that bout, also scored a knockdown on Berlanga.
The fight with Rolls was Berlanga’s third in a row to go the distance – with his first 16 ending by knockout in the first round.
“Apparently the fans have gotten used to me winning fights in the first round, but I am grateful for this experience. I had the opportunity to fight 10 rounds, against a veteran boxer with a lot of experience. It is something very positive for my career,” said Berlanga to Eduardo Solano.
Against Rolls, the 5,158 fans in the small venue inside the legendary Madison Square Garden expected more from the Brooklyn native, who won with scores of 96-94, 97-93, 97-93.
Berlanga will return to the ring on June 11, as part of Top Rank’s planned card for the weekend of the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
“All of the people are waiting for me to knock out my opponents, but what they don’t know is that boxing is not just about KOs. You have to go out there and put on a show, you have to look good and the truth is that I feel very upset and disappointed that I didn’t give my fans what they wanted. I am very angry about that,” Berlanga said.
“I hurt my elbow during the second or third round, it was hurting while I was throwing the jab, but as I mentioned, I am very upset with myself, for not being able to win this fight with a knockout.
“I realize that [the fans] wanted me to knock him out, to do something big, I couldn’t give them what they asked for. I hope things are different on June 11 during the weekend of the Puerto Rican parade, since I’m already looking forward to that date.
“[I can become the next Puerto Rican superstar]. I have the star power, I have the power in my punches, I have the talent and also the charisma. If I continue to do what I have done until today, it will happen. I know the expectation of the people, they are expecting me to knock them all out, just because of what I did with my first 16 opponents. Nobody wants to see me in a long fight; they find it boring, but I know that I have the necessary tools to become the next Miguel Cotto or Tito Trinidad.”