This week belongs to Steven Butler and Edgar Berlanga. The two heavy hitters will square off this Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
This fight marks the debut of “The Chosen One,” Edgar Berlanga, under the Zuffa Boxing banner. As I do year-round, with a mind fully devoted to boxing, I’ve spent plenty of time thinking about the two men stepping into the ring, but not so much about the fight itself. Instead, I’ve reflected on how they arrived at this point in their careers. Butler and Berlanga have followed remarkably similar paths: the same expectations, the same promises, and ultimately, similar results. It may sound cliché, but this is the definition of a crossroads fight. The winner will once again be able to dream of championship glory and million-dollar paydays, while the loser will have to take a long, hard look at what’s next.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Edgar Berlanga vs. Steven Butler
Amateur careers
The opening paragraph of this section may seem to contradict my argument, and sometimes it’s healthy to challenge your own opinion. The amateur careers of these two fighters were not identical. Edgar Berlanga compiled an impressive record of 162 wins and 17 losses, proving he possesses a stronger technical foundation than many experts are willing to acknowledge. Steven Butler was also considered a prodigy in the amateur ranks, but Boxing Canada’s, let’s say, unconventional approach kept him behind Custio Clayton for years. As a result, Butler chose to turn professional at just 18 years old.
Professional beginnings
Steven Butler was introduced to fans as the “Sidney Crosby of boxing,” while Top Rank branded Edgar Berlanga as “The Chosen One” and leaned heavily on his Puerto Rican heritage in hopes of making him the successor to Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden.
Here’s what Bob Arum said back in 2020:
“Edgar Berlanga is the greatest power-punching phenomenon I’ve seen since the heyday of a young Mike Tyson.”
On one side, Camille Estephan was building Eye of the Tiger around Steven Butler. “Bang Bang” collected youth world titles and packed arenas from the Olympia to the Métropolis, as well as venues in Chicoutimi, Lac-Leamy, and Quebec City. A significant portion of the organization’s future rested on his shoulders.
Photo: Max Boxing – Edgar Berlanga vs. Steve Rolls
Bob Arum, meanwhile, had another goal in mind: breaking Mike Tyson’s record for consecutive first-round knockouts. Berlanga’s first 16 opponents all collapsed within minutes until Desmond Nicholson weathered the storm and became the first man to hear the final bell against him.
The defeats
Both men were once viewed as future world champions. So how did they end up in a fight where neither can afford another loss?
Steven Butler came up short in Japan against Ryota Murata and later in the United States against Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in his attempts to capture a world title. Edgar Berlanga may have lost to Canelo Alvarez, but he showed tremendous toughness by going the full twelve rounds. Even so, both Butler and Berlanga exposed significant flaws that make it difficult to picture either of them becoming a world champion.
Then Berlanga lost much of his aura as an unstoppable knockout artist when he was defeated by Hamzah Sheeraz. That loss raised serious questions about whether he truly belongs among the elite of the super middleweight division.
Photo: Shutterstock – Ryota Murata vs. Steven Butler
Despite everything, these two fighters still have plenty in common. Both remain extremely confident and charismatic, both inside and outside the ring. They draw crowds, know how to sell tickets, fully embrace boxing’s entertainment aspect, enjoy getting under their opponents’ skin, and almost always deliver exciting fights.
The verdict
Both fighters remain dangerous opponents for anyone at 168 pounds thanks to their exceptional punching power.
Each had to live up to enormous expectations from their promoters. Both were presented as the future of their respective organizations before that image began to fade as the level of competition increased. Today, they are seasoned veterans who still possess bricks in place of fists and continue to be major attractions.
That is exactly what makes Saturday night’s fight so significant. The winner will re-enter the conversation among the division’s elite and breathe new life into his career. The loser, on the other hand, risks falling a long way down the super middleweight rankings.
Photo: The Ring Magazine – Stephane Fondjo vs. Steven Butler
For once, I simply can’t pick a winner. Both fighters live and die by their punching power. If sports betting were still legal for me in Quebec, my prediction would be straightforward: this fight won’t make it past the sixth round. Or, to put it another way, the first man to land a clean, meaningful shot will have his hand raised.
