On Saturday night, March 15th, fans are eagerly anticipating the co-feature bout featuring Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga, who returns to the boxing ring against Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. This fight will be streamed live on DAZN, and it’s expected to draw quite an audience.
Just six months ago, Berlanga took center stage in a super-middleweight world title unification match in Las Vegas, which saw him lose his undefeated status. Despite this setback, Berlanga is now determined to demonstrate his skills and make a strong comeback.
The 27-year-old fighter from Brooklyn, New York, burst onto the scene with an astonishing 16 straight first-round knockout victories. However, in his subsequent five fights, Berlanga’s performance was less dominant, with each ending in a decision win.
In a pivotal career decision, Berlanga signed a multi-fight contract with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing. Fast forward a year to February 24, 2024, when Berlanga finally broke his knockout drought against the unbeaten Irishman Padraig McCrory during his second Matchroom fight.
As the sixth round was nearing its end, Berlanga unleashed a powerful overhand right, flooring McCrory. Unable to recover, McCrory’s corner waved the fight off, signaling Berlanga’s victory.
Following this triumph, Berlanga secured the fight of his dreams against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the unified super-middleweight champion. During the match, Canelo knocked Berlanga down in the third round. Nonetheless, Berlanga managed to recover and pushed through to the end.
Though Berlanga put up a valiant effort, Canelo was declared the winner by unanimous decision. Now, with a record of 22-1 and 17 KOs, Berlanga is focused on climbing back into the mandatory challenger ranks as he prepares to face an undefeated opponent with plenty of grit.
Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz, hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is known for his relentless fighting style and precise punches. At 35, he’s coming off two fights in 2024 but was out of the ring for a decade before that, raising some questions about his competitive edge.
Despite the skepticism surrounding Gonzalez-Ortiz’s layoff and past competition, Berlanga isn’t taking him lightly. Berlanga believes that come fight night, he’s in for a serious battle. “I’m not looking past this guy,” Berlanga affirmed. “He’s Puerto Rican, with that Puerto Rican fight spirit. I know he’s not going to spend the fight running. He’s out there to prove himself.”
While Austin “Ammo” Williams vs. Patrice Volny headlines the event, the Berlanga vs. Gonzalez-Ortiz match brings its own intrigue. Following his recent high-profile bout with Canelo, Berlanga hit the scales at 1.6 pounds over the super-middleweight limit of 168.
So, will Berlanga’s apparent weight slip indicate a lack of focus, opening up a possible upset, or will he cement his reputation by showcasing his dominance against Gonzalez-Ortiz? Only time will tell.
