STAR BOXING PREVIEW: Edgar Berlanga v Padraig McCrory

Undefeated super middleweight Edgar Berlanga (21-0 16KO) will look to secure his first world title shot this weekend as he takes on fellow undefeated contender Padraig McCrory in Orlando. ‘The Chosen One’ is also a potential future opponent for Canelo Alvarez which means the eyes of the boxing world will be on him this weekend, writes JORDAN NEILD

‘The Chosen One’ burst onto the scene in 2016 and registered sixteen first round knockouts in his first sixteen fights. With a record like that, it wasn’t long before the major promoters and broadcasters were circling to build him as America’s next big star but he was taken the distance in his seventeenth contest and he has gone the distance in all four fights since.

Not only has Berlanga struggled to get rid of recent opponents, but he has also faced further controversy after he was hit with a six month ban for attempting to bite his opponent, Alexis Angulo. He returned in June 2023 to register another decision victory over Jason Quigley despite dropping the former world title challenger four times.

Heading into this weekend, questions are surrounding Berlanga and he needs a statement performance to solidify himself as a genuine world title contender. His promoter has Eddie Hearn has called for a fight with Canelo Alvarez but he would need to return to his explosive best to enter that conversation.

Padraig McCrory will be the first undefeated fighter that Berlanga has fought and although the Irishman doesn’t have a huge reputation, he has been faultless as a professional and has been calling for an opportunity like this for a long time.

The Belfast man has done everything asked of him to this point and managed to claim a minor world title up at light heavyweight when he stopped Leon Bunn inside six rounds in 2022. At 35, McCrory is never going to get a major push by a promoter here but he has an opportunity to gate crash the super middleweight ranks.

With nine knockouts in eighteen wins, McCrory has underrated power and that will give him confidence knowing that Berlanga has been hit and hurt by lesser punchers in his recent fights. The Irishman has nothing to lose this weekend and we can expect him to leave it all in the ring in Orlando.

Edgar Berlanga has his back up against the wall this weekend knows that he must produce a performance that gets the boxing world talking about him. Luckily for him, he is facing an opponent who won’t shy away from trading with him and that should leave openings for him to rediscover his knockout form.

Edgar Berlanga to win by KO/TKO is the play here.

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On the undercard, keep an eye out for Andy Cruz who looks like a potential future superstar. The Cuban was an amateur sensation and won gold at the 2020 Olympics before turning over to the professional ranks. The 28-year-old is only two fights into his professional career but he is already competing over ten rounds and that is a sign of confidence from promoter Eddie Hearn who is already talking about Cruz as a future multi-weight world champion.

His opponent this weekend Brayan Rodriguez has only lost two fights and never been stopped so he should offer some stubbornness this weekend and give Cruz some vital professional experience.

Although the Cuban clearly has power, this is an opportunity for him to bank rounds before moving onto bigger things. Andy Cruz to win by decision is a bet worth consideration.

JORDAN NEILD

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RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Edgar Berlanga to win by KO/TKO 2pts at 13/10 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Andy Cruz to win by decision 1pt at 15/8 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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PROFIT/LOSS (FEB 2024): +10.12

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