Berlanga is ‘The Chosen One’ of Puerto Rican Boxing
The ‘Cathedral of Boxing’, Madison Square Garden, was too big for him. Bigger than singer Marc Anthony’s size XL. Whoever chose that nickname is probably rethinking it right now.
It’s true. Anybody has a bad night.
But what Berlanga showed before Steve Rolls leaves him in a very bad light. And it doesn’t justify him taking precautions because of the left biceps surgery he recently underwent or because in his previous fight he kissed the canvas for the first time.
Much less when the March 19 card was made in his image and likeness. For him to show off. So that he would give a blow on the table in the biggest stage of boxing and that for his fortune, is close to his birthplace (Brooklyn) and is the favorite home of the greatest Puerto Rican fighters of all time.
For that reason alone, Berlanga, who has Puerto Rican roots, came out with his arm raised. On another stage we would probably be telling a different story.
His performance was a rare mix of caution and inability. His right hand looked like a VIP guest at ringside. As they say in soccer, he had it to lean on. And the times he did throw it, it was so slow that Rolls, a 37-year-old man, evaded it without much effort.
The fight in general was a slog; a low-budget movie with amateur actors who never wanted to take ownership of the effervescent audience that packed the Hulu theater located inside the iconic New York facility.
Berlanga was limited to chasing, with exasperating slowness, Rolls and the Canadian did nothing but run and score with punches as if he were in an amateur fight when he needed a superlative performance to relaunch a career that he himself acknowledged is nearing the end, attending to his 37 years of age.
But in this story Berlanga is the one who had star status. He was starring in a billboard for the first time and that carries responsibilities. And I repeat… the obligation took its toll on him.
It was evident that he doesn’t know how to face shifty fighters. He himself acknowledged it in the post fight interview. Cutting off the ring is not just about cornering your opponent, if you don’t throw punches you haven’t done anything. And that’s exactly what Berlanga did during the agreed-upon ten rounds.
His handlers should be very careful to prevent him from losing his undefeated record in a grotesque manner. Berlanga is not ready for the elite at 168 pounds. To take that risk would be suicide and confirmation that he is millions of light years away from the greatest fighters of the Island of Enchantment…, and of course, that he is not The Chosen One.
