Big punching Edgar Berlanga is promising fellow world-ranked super middleweight Padraig “The Hammer” McCrory a baptism of fire and brimstone on the Belfastman’s U.S. debut at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, this Saturday. The 12-rounder will be broadcast live globally on the DAZN app [9 p.m. EST].
It’s a crunch showdown for the two unbeaten fighters.
Ranked #3 by the WBA and #13 by the IBF, McCrory is 18-0 [9 KOs] and has held the WBC International Silver super middleweight and IBO light heavyweight titles. But at age 35, Father Time is knocking on his door as he pursues a world title.
Nine years McCrory’s junior, Berlanga is 21-0 [16 KOs] and needs to keep winning to remain on track in a star-studded division whose undisputed king is one Canelo Alvarez.
Out of Brooklyn, Berlanga is more than sure of adding another Irish scalp to his name after a dominant points win over Donegal’s Jason Quigley at Madison Square Garden last June.
The WBO’s #5 and IBF #6 contender had Quigley on the canvas twice in the 12th and final stanza at the Garden. He hopes to continue the mayhem against McCrory.
“The 12th round of my last fight, I feel like that’s really woken me up,” said Berlanga. “I know I have got the power to hurt anybody, and I feel different as a fighter, mentally, physically and spiritually. I know that there’s going to be fireworks coming from me on February 24, that’s a fact. I’m coming for the KO. [McCrory] can say whatever he wants, but at the end of the day we have to go in there and tussle.
“I’ll be one of the best 168lb fighters in the world. I think that after this fight my name is going to be buzzing again, and people will be talking about me and Canelo in September or Jaime Munguia.”
McCrory begs to differ, based on what he gleaned from Berlanga’s scrap with Quigley.
“I watched the fight, and I believe I have even more what it takes. I’m a different fighter,” McCrory told boxingnews24.com. “Winning will not only be massive for me but massive for the community. It’s massive for West Belfast.”
“I believe I’m one punch away from changing my life. I truly believe it’s going to happen. I’m going to go down in Irish boxing history,” he added.
Fellow Belfastman Jamie Conlan touted McCrory’s chances.
“It’s massive, a massive opportunity and the perfect time to catch Berlanga,” Conlan said to the Irish News. “This is testament to a fighter who has had to grind throughout his career to get to where he is now. It’s a feelgood story, a Cinderella story and this is the best chapter of it.
“If he can pull this off it’s massive and I believe he has every opportunity and every chance to. I think it’s common knowledge that Berlanga isn’t the superstar that was once perceived by Top Rank.”
ICE MAN
This Friday at The Paramount Theatre in Huntington, Long Island, Dubliner Keane “Ice Man” McMahon faces Queens resident Danny “El Gallo” Gonzalez in an eight round super welterweight contest.
McMahon enters the ring with a 7-3 [4 KO] ledger, while Gonzalez boasts a 20-4-1 [7 KO] record. McMahon’s last fight was a six-round unanimous points loss to one Jahyae Brown at Madison Square Garden in June 2022.
Call [718] 823-2000 for ticket information.
On March 7 at Sony Hall in in Times Square, Emmet Brennan, a 2020 Irish Olympian, makes his New York debut in an eight-round light heavyweight contest against Devaun Lee [11-10-1, 6 KOs]. Tickets are available from ticketweb.com and sonyhall.com.
Brennan is the BUI Celtic light heavyweight champion and according to irishboxing.com, has made no secret of his desire “to fight on the East Coast nor his belief he could have a John Duddy-style impact in New York.”
“The Dublin Dockland’s graduate faces what would be deemed a test for a two-fight novice. The 32-year-old takes on Queens native, Devaun Lee, a step down from Jamie Morrissey, who he defeated on the Katie Taylor undercard on November 25, but a solid third fight nonetheless,” the web site reported.
A Queens native, Lee has some very good wins on his record, including victories in New York State and a WBA Fedecarible title fights.
FDNY VS ‘THE WORLD’
The night before the March 15 St. Patrick’s Day weekend show at Madison Square Garden, Bobby McGuire’s FDNY boxing team takes on a select side comprising fighters from Britain and the U.S.
“It's basically the FDNY Bravest boxing team vs. the world for charity, with a few other bouts mixed in,” said McGuire, the FDNY team president. “Our team motto is ‘we’ll fight anyone, anywhere at any time....as long as it's for a good cause.’ So when an opportunity to fight in MSG came up we jumped at the chance and challenged police, firefighters and first responders from around the world to come to New York City and fight us for charity.
“The response we got was amazing and we eventually had to cut it off at 16 bouts. We have boxers coming from West Yorkshire and London in England, Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Yonkers and even a few of our brothers in blue from the NYPD.”
