When a Nax employee approached Edgar Berlanga, Boxer began his heart racing, a reaction born of nervous energy and a stutter that this was the identity he was longing for.
Unbeaten, and largely untouched, Brooklyn-raised super middleweight Madison Square Garden was seated against the 76ers on March 21 during a backers game with the Celebrity Game Row, when he was approached and told he would be Featured on the jumbotron during a timeout.
After a few moments, it is revealed that Burlanga has created a seductive portrait that shines on the big screen at MSG, and then the screen reveals the 23-year-old, sporting red shades and a Yankees mask on his seat, as He threw some playful jabs at the camera.
Later in the game, Philadelphia’s Dwight Howard asks the knockout artist to share a few words and throw fake punches to mimic a boxer. When Berlanga walked home on his way home from his car, he was eagerly solicited for autographs and photographs by the crowd outside the Garden.
Berlanga admitted that her first Celebrity Row appearance gave her butterflies, but also said that she fulfilled a plan that she revealed to exist. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the 2020 Sports Illustrated Prospect of the Year insisted to his wife, Genesis, that when things reopened, they would both be given court tickets to NBA games and shown on the big screen. Genesis did not believe him at all, often making it laugh or believing it was a joke.
A year later, Burlanga’s vision improved.
His passion was no joke. Nor is his path to stardom.
No one entering the ring with Berlanga in his professional career has made it to the second round – he has been knocked out in the first round 16–0. As his reputation has grown inside the ring, his celebrity has exploded outside it, making him one of the most intriguing and attractive young stars in the game.
Berlanga wants to be the next great fighter who stars Zab Judah, Danny Jacobs, Riddick Bowe, Mark Brind, Sadam Ali and Mike Tyson, whose legacy hopes to emulate.
Berlanga told The Post after a training session, “You got these kinds of people who became champions and it’s special for Brooklyn.” “These are special fighters who came out of Brooklyn and now I am one of them. I’m young right now, but I’m on the verge of becoming one of the biggest fighters coming out of New York, coming out of Brooklyn, and coming out of Puerto Rico. “
As Berlanga continues to rise in the super middleweight rankings, he and his team consider each bout to be a “step up” in the competition. Berlanga’s final two rivals, Lanell Bellows and Ulysse Sierra, were never KO’d in a veteran career, but both of their nights ended before the first round bell rang.
Berlanga’s next “step up” will come on Saturday as 28-year-old Demand Nicholson (23-3-1). The bout will be the top-ranked co-main event live on ESPN from the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla.
The plan was for Baralanga to take center stage at Madison Square Garden on June 12, but the start of the garden will likely be pushed toward a decline, when COVID-19 capacity restrictions are expected to be lowered. Prior to this, the top rank wants to keep him busy with one or two more fights over the summer.
Berlanga’s bout against Nicholson will be his first co-main event with the top rank, which he wants to be – he is the main attraction. Although she is just 23 years old, Berlanga feels she is already in the top rank, with viewership during her last three fights, including 2.2 million viewers for the bout against Sierra.
Berlanga experiences self-understanding about exactly what kind of fighter and celebrity he attempts to become. Yes, earning title fights and becoming world champion tops their list, but being an entertainer and growing the game are key to Berlanga’s ideology. He has a belief, and a commitment, to not only being a great boxer, but also being a star.
With each new first-round knockout, Berlanga’s recognition grew in athletic and celebrity circles. He is particularly close with comedian Tracy Morgan, has done a few dance moves with rapper Snoop Dogg and hung out with 50 Cent and de la Ghetto with musicians. Beralanga has attracted the attention of many athletes, including Saquon Barclay and Damian Lillard, who have praised his boxing feats on social media. These stars are reaching him, not vice versa.
“Everyone wants to be around a fighter. “Everyone wants to be around a man who can fight,” said Berlanga.
During Saturday’s fight against Nicholson, Berlanga will hang out with hip hop megastars Lil Wayne and Fat Joe.
Berlanga said, “One thing I do is to put those butts on the seats.” “It is the most important thing that promoters look at – how many tickets can you sell? It is very important. You can be the best fighter in the world, but if you can’t sell tickets, if you can’t sell your birthday dinner outside, then, it’s sad to say, but the game makes no sense because you are not born. Are making any kind of money. This is the type of fighter I think I am. I know I am eligible to get paid, whether I have a title or I do not have a title, I am going to bring it [energy] Back to boxed. “
There is a sense of patience coupled with his self-assurance. Both Berlanga – number 8 in the WBO rankings and number 10 in the ring rankings – and their trainer, Andre Rozier, know that if they really wanted to, they would try to sign deals to fight some of the division’s top dogs Could, such as current or former title holders Canelo Alvarez, Caleb Plant and David Benavidez.
Berlanga, Rosier and Dave “Scooter” Honig, Berlanga’s strength and conditioning coach, share a common dedication to getting him right and not hurrying up the process. Berlanga has the division’s top fighters in his sights, but when he is ready he wants to meet them, work his way up and prove himself. Rozier and Honig said that they have seen maturation flourishing in Burlanga recently. He knows that he has caught the attention of top fighters, and they are waiting for their chance with “The Chosen One”, Berlanga’s nickname of choice.
Edgar Berlanga Sr.’s team, his father and Rozir, who is also Burlanga’s uncle, kept him focused and out of trouble. He points to the good heart and good nature of Barlanga. If he ever gets any “extra energy”, as Rozier said, then this pair definitely knows how to keep it.
Roger told The Post, “That’s why his father and myself – he has a bat in my right hand and a bat in my left hand, and we meet in the middle.” “He is kept in check. He is being taught as that special someone.”
The community and family of Berlanga is very much shaped by who he is. He grew up in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn as well as Manhattan’s Lower East Side, started boxing at age 7 and compiled an amateur record of 162–17. Berlanga now lives in Glen Cove on the long island, a suburban environment that he finds ideal for starting his new family.
Her training in competitive edge athletics in Port Washington, LI, is a family event, which includes Edgar Sr., Genesis, and even a toy named Simba. During his pre-fight season, Berlanga held and kissed Simba between sets, playing with the dog in the delicate times that his opponents have suffered so much damage. Genesis, who made Berlanga’s mouth water during a break in training, and Berlanga are expecting their first child soon.
“My dad has always told me that my life is going to change and it’s going to make me a man,” said Burlanga.
Also in attendance, The Post was invited to overview The Post, David King Garcia, an 11-year-old boxer ranked No. 1 in the 65-pound division. Berlanga and Garcia, who live in Arizona, have struck a bond, regularly facetiming, walking outside together and training. Garcia, who considers Berlanga “like a brother”, will join Lil Wayne and Fat Joe and move on with Berlanga for Saturday’s fight, an experience Berlanga hopes Garcia gets a taste of the big leagues – some Berlena said she had never grown up.
Tied with her Brooklyn personality, Berlanga is inspired to represent her Puerto Rican heritage. Berlanga and his team recently traveled to the island, where their recognition has grown rapidly. While living there, Berlanga gets a chance to meet with Felix “Tito” Trinidad and spend time with his childhood idol. The boxing legend had a message to carry Berlanga with him: “Always be loyal, always polite and the world will belong to you.”
In Berlanga, Rosier states that he is “the Latin soul for fighting.” The original plan was for the MSG fight to coincide with the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan. Whenever he comes to fight in The Mecca of Boxing, Berlanga vows to bring back the type of energy that Puerto Rican stars Miguel Kopot and Trinidad provide.
When that big day arrives, the Barlunga courtier won’t sit, and he certainly won’t be fickle for the camera when he throws. That will be the main attraction.
“There’s a lot that has to do with me and my career,” said Berlanga. “This is like 20 percent out of 100 that we will get. I am just getting started. I love that, I love lights, I love cameras, I love to entertain. I just love everything about being an entertainer, being a professional fighter, and being the center of attention. “
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