Berlanga vs McCrory Undercard: Cuban Sensation Andy Cruz Set For 3rd Pro Fight
- Edgar Berlanga Returns First On Feb 24 In Orlando, Live On DAZN
- Ireland’s Padraig McCrory Meets Berlanga In Clash Of Unbeatens
- Berlanga vs McCrory Undercard: Andy Cruz And Title Eliminators
Edgar Berlanga will kick off the new year slate stateside for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
The undefeated super middleweight headlines a DAZN show at the Caribe Royal in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, February 24.
Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) is a big draw in New York but Matchroom will instead pocket a six-digit site fee from the venue which hosted Conor Benn’s return in September.
The rising star’s opponent is Ireland’s WBA #3 Padraig McCrory (18-0, 9 KOs).
McCrory was in the mix to face Berlanga back in June but Matchroom instead opted for another Irishman in Jason Quigley who extended Berlanga the distance in his last contest.
The 35-year-old claimed the IBO Light Heavyweight strap in Germany last year with a sixth-round TKO of the unbeaten Leon Bunn but hasn’t really progressed from there.
Berlanga vs McCrory Undercard
Cuban amateur sensation Andy Cruz (2-0, 1 KO), who took a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic games alongside three successive world championships, is fast-tracking to a title shot and Mexican Bryan Zamarripa (14-2, 5 KOs) will hope to pull of a life-changing upset.
Zamarripa fell narrowly short of ripping up the script when he met WBO #4 Angel Fierro in a Matchroom Mexico main event fight in September, losing by split decision.
Shakhram Giyasov (14-0 9 KOs) will look to make his claims for a World Welterweight title shot even louder when the WBA number #1 ranked Welterweight takes on former World title challenger Pablo Cesar Cano (35-8-1 25 KOs) in an eliminator.
The Uzbek beat Harold Calderon at a canter in June in New Orleans to make it to 14-0 in the paid ranks, and now seeks victory over the experienced Mexican who has won his last two fights inside the distance and sits at #6 with the WBA at 147lbs.
Antonio Vargas (17-1 9 KOs) and Jonathan Rodriguez (17-1-1 7 KOs) clash in an eliminator for the WBA Bantamweight title.
Puerto Rican Rodriguez, who stunned the boxing world by sending former World champion Kal Yafai into retirement with a first-round KO win in Los Angeles steps up to his first important fight on the world scene.
Vargas has boxed on numerous MVP cards and has built up an impressive seven wins since a 2019 loss to Jose Maria Cardenas and a WBA #2 ranking.
It’s a first pro title shot for 2020 Olympian Yankiel Rivera (4-0 2 KOs) as the Puerto Rican amateur sensation goes head to head with Mexico’s Andy Dominguez (10-0 6 KOs) for the WBA Continental Americas Flyweight title.
Florida’s Aaron Aponte (8-1-1 2 KOs) steps through the ropes for the 11th time in the paid ranks over eight rounds at Super-Lightweight, and Cuban Heavyweight and 2021 World Championship bronze medalist Herich Ruiz (4-0 3 KOs) is back in action over six, with opponents for both fighters to be named soon
Berlanga vs McCrory UK Time, TV Channel, Ring Walks
Berlanga vs McCrory TV Channel: DAZN (Worldwide)
Berlanga vs McCrory Prelim Time: 10 pm BST (5 pm ET)
Berlanga vs McCrory UK Time For Main Card: 01:00 am BST (8 pm ET)
Berlanga vs McCrory Ring Walks: 03:30 am BST (10:30 pm ET)
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Image Credit: Berlanga – Mikey Williams/Top Rank, Cruz Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing