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'What a monster': Boxing world freaks out over 'scary' KO

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Edgar Berlanga, pictured here knocking out Eric Moon.
Edgar Berlanga knocked out Eric Moon inside 60 seconds. Image: Twitter

Edgar Berlanga is the real deal.

The 23-year-old rising star took his professional boxing record to 14-0 on Wednesday, obliterating Eric Moon in the first round.

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Incredibly, all 14 of Berlanga’s wins have come via knockout in the first round.

Berlanga left Moon sprawled on the canvas less than 60 seconds into their fight on Wednesday after a flurry of right-hand punches.

The American delivered the knockout blow after pulling Moon’s gloves down from in front of his head and leaving his opponent exposed.

“It was another step-up fight for me,” Berlanga said afterwards.

“We prepared to go rounds, but I got him hurt and got him out of there.

“I still have so much room to grow as a fighter. The power is there, but I will show everyone that I am a well-rounded fighter.

“The knockout streak is cool, but there is more to me than first-round knockouts.”

Boxing world freaks out over Edgar Berlanga

Berlanga’s insane streak has the boxing world on notice.

As veteran combat writer Kevin Iole said on Wednesday: “Edgar Berlanga is 23, and already one of the most feared punchers in boxing.”

“This is new territory for Berlanga, who fought 179 times as an amateur and never considered himself a hard puncher.”

Berlanga told Yahoo Sports earlier this week: “To start off my career so well like this, it was pretty shocking to me because I wasn’t a big puncher while I was an amateur.”

“The transition to amateur and pro definitely did me well. I learned how to throw my punches, how to set things up and I really learned how to punch.

“I was shocked, though, when I first started hitting guys and [they would be hurt or go down].”

Edgar Berlanga, pictured here after his first round knockout of Cesar Nunez in 2019.
Edgar Berlanga celebrates his first round knockout of Cesar Nunez in 2019. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Berlanga’s manager Keith Connolly said the power is real and believes that he’ll be successful with it even as the competition improves.

“The thing I really like about him is what happened in his last fight,” Connolly said, referencing Berlanga’s KO of Cesar Nunez.

“He gets the guy hurt and he doesn’t go crazy. He stays compact and calm, but he’s still throwing powerful punches.

“I’m 47 years old and I have watched boxing for 40 years and there aren’t that many guys you see who don’t go crazy looking for the KO when they have you in trouble.

“He knows now that he has that. He has that big kind of punching power that if you have ever been there when he’s fighting, you know this: You can hear it in the upper deck. It’s a different sound.”

with Yahoo Sports US