By: Sean Crose
That’s right, super middleweight Edgar Berlanga successfully beat Romer Angulo at the Theater in Madison Square Garden on Saturday. His doing so while fighting in what used to be known as Scientific Style (the goal is to win through tactical skills like hitting and moving, not brawling) won’t do any harm. much to his reputation. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be thrilled to create a legacy for yourself. Floyd Mayweather certainly proved it, as did Pernell Whitaker and Willie Pep before him – Pep was even said to have won the entire round without even throwing a punch.
So no, Berlanga isn’t doing himself too much harm by no longer being a boxer who scores consecutive knockouts in the first round – or even multiple knockouts. However, he is sure to harm himself by looking unimpressive during his matches. Saturday’s game isn’t particularly impressive for the New Yorker which is currently 20-0. Mayweather, Whitaker and Pep may not be known as thunderbolts, but they are stylists. And there’s more to being a stylist than simply maintaining range and agility. It works, no doubt, but with no entertainment value involved, which can be brutal for a boxer’s popularity.
However, boxing is ultimately about winning rather than gaining popularity. However, what is most definitely not about being is biting people. That’s right, Mike Tyson made the “bite ring” famous after he cut off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear nearly 25 years ago. In the process, he also does incredible harm to the sport of boxing. Undoubtedly, being a boxer is a bad endeavor. Stuffy ears, despite being simply rude. And yup, looks like last night Berlanga tried to bite Angulo with his teeth. Granted, he didn’t go into Angulo’s ears – instead, he went looking for the guy’s neck. Total. Unnecessary and gross.
To make things even worse, Berlanga seemed to think the whole thing was funny. “He threw the elbow,” he said of Angulo after the battle. “I was going to do a Mike Tyson with him. He’s constantly elbowing and I don’t want to get slashed, I’m ready to bite him like Mike Tyson.” Maybe the guy was just joking. Or perhaps he was satisfied with trying to bite an opponent in the ring. Either way, the man will want to take things seriously if he wants his career to flourish. If you decide from the first knockout to bite your opponent, your fanbase will start to plummet.
Fortunately, Berlanga seems to have understood the gravity of his actions, as on Sunday he tweeted the following: “I reacted badly and take full responsibility. In the future, I will be more mindful and encouraging in my behavior. Once again, I am sorry. “
Fair enough.
