Padraig McCrory has received a precious gift: A golden opportunity to become a star. Now we’ll see what he does with it.
The 35-year-old Irishman is scheduled to face fellow 168-pound contender Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida (DAZN), his first meeting with a high-profile opponent.
If he loses – and the oddsmakers believe he will – he could become a footnote in boxing history. If he wins, nothing will be the same again.
“I know that I am one punch away from changing my life,” McCrory said. “If it happens, and I truly believe it is going to, I will go down in Irish boxing history, and on Saturday that’s what is going to happen.
“I’m so proud of being from Belfast, and to go down in history there would mean so much to me.”
McCrory (18-0, 9 KOs) has had no problem with solid, but second-tier opposition on a local level. All but two of his fights have taken place in his native Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Tangling with Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) is another proposition. The New Yorker became a phenomenon by stopping his first 16 opponents in the first round and has continued to win, including a four-knockdown, unanimous decision victory over Jason Quigley last June.
That’s why Berlanga is about a 4½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets). What’s McCrory’s reaction to his underdog status? He turns it around: He believes he’s also Berlanga’s toughest opponent.
“I’m definitely his hardest fight,” McCrory said. “I’m a big 168 and he’s never taken anyone’s ‘0’. He sounds confident, but I think it’s all show. He’s trying to convince himself, and on Saturday you’ll see that I’m his biggest test.
“It’s obvious that he has power, he comes with a big punch. Ask anyone and they’ll say he’s strong and has power. I think he is getting a bit better fundamentally, but he isn’t the finished article. …
“I think he needs more time, and that’s why they haven’t taken the [Jaime] Munguia fight or the [John] Ryder fight, or any of these big fights. They are trying to get him ready for those big fights and, unfortunately, I’m a step too far.”
Berlanga’s goal is to win boxing’s version of the lottery, a fight with undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez.
If McCrory can pull off an upset, he figures he’ll move toward the front of the line to face the Mexican superstar and the other top super middleweights. One victory equals a new, exciting reality.
“Winning this fight changes my life for good,” he said. “Anything that’s happened in the past is irrelevant. My life is great. I’m happily married with three kids. And on Saturday it’s going to get even better.
“This win opens up massive opportunities, the biggest names, like Jaime Munguia, Diego Pacheco or even Canelo Alvarez. He’s the dream fight for everybody, the money fight, and that’s what awaits me after this fight.
“[Berlanga is] looking past me talking about those guys. He’s not worried about me, but that’s a big mistake. He’s in for a nightmare.”
