NEW YORK – Jesse Hart has been mentioned as a potential opponent for Edgar Berlanga before each of the undefeated super middleweight’s last two fights.
Berlanga’s handlers have yet to agree to that bout, but Berlanga indicated after beating Alexis Angulo by unanimous decision early Sunday morning that he would be willing to fight Hart next. Brooklyn’s Berlanga replied “whoever” when asked specifically about boxing Philadelphia’s Hart later this year.
“You know, whoever’s on the list,” Berlanga told a group of reporters. “You know what I’m saying? If the money’s right, everything good, we make it happen.”
Hart has lost only a pair of 12-round decisions to undefeated former WBO super middleweight champ Gilberto Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs) and a 10-round split decision to Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KOs), who won the WBO light heavyweight title two fights later. The 32-year-old Hart (28-3, 22 KOs) has competed in the light heavyweight division in each of his past four fights, but he is willing to move back down to super middleweight to battle Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs).
Whoever Berlanga boxes next, he’ll take a significantly longer break before returning to the ring than he did between his past two bouts.
Brooklyn’s Berlanga beat Colombia’s Angulo (27-3, 23 KOs) less than three months after his previous appearance, another 10-round, unanimous-decision victory over Toronto’s Steve Rolls (21-2, 12 KOs) on March 19. Berlanga’s wins against Rolls and Angulo headlined shows at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater.
The 25-year-old Berlanga suggested that his next fight could take place in Puerto Rico. Berlanga prepared in Puerto Rico for the Angulo bout with his new head trainer, Juan De Leon, but he has not fought on the island since he turned pro in April 2016.
“I’m looking forward to fighting in December,” Berlanga said. “I don’t know if it’s gonna be here or in Puerto Rico. But, you know, I’m gonna speak to Top Rank and I’m gonna try to, you know, get a fight in Puerto Rico.”
Berlanga’s bout with Rolls helped draw a capacity crowd of 5,158 to Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater almost three months ago.
His win against Angulo took place the night before the 65th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan, but the event Saturday night wasn’t sold out. The announced attendance for the Berlanga-Angulo card was 4,357.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
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