Edgar Berlanga signs multi-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn has won the Edgar Berlanga sweepstakes.

FightNights.com has learned that the unbeaten super middleweight and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing have agreed to terms on a multi-fight agreement. It is likely that Berlanga, whose fights will be streamed on DAZN, will fight Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez as part of his contract.

Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs), who chose Hearn’s proposal over the likes of Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, won his first 16 bouts via first-round knockout. However, he has not scored a KO since December 2020. His last four contests have ended in unanimous decision victories, including a 10-round win over Marcelo Esteban Coceres in October 2021 in Las Vegas, where Berlanga suffered a ninth-round knockdown.

The New York native is the No.4-ranked contender for Alvarez’s IBF and WBO 168-pound titles. Berlanga is ranked sixth by the WBA and 12th by the WBC.

The 32-year-old Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) is expected to defend his undisputed super middleweight world titles against John Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) on May 6 at a venue to be determined in Jalisco, Mexico, Canelo’s hometown.

Berlanga became a free agent last month when he and longtime promoter Top Rank agreed to mutually part ways. Executives and matchmakers for Bob Arum’s Top Rank and Berlanga’s team quarreled for several months on how Berlanga should be matched and compensated in 2023, which led to the separation.

Berlanga hasn’t fought since June 11, when he outboxed Alexis Angulo (27-3, 23 KOs) at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. Despite the win, it was also an embarrassing display for the 25-year-old. In the seventh round of their 10-round contest, Berlanga attempted to bite Angulo. After a thorough review, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended Berlanga for six months and fined him $10,000.