Berlanga Officially Banned After NYSAC Applied The Punishment
FightersTalkTV.com – The New York State Athlete Commission officially applied the punishment to Edgar Berlanga following the fight at Madison Square Garden on June 11 which Berlanga won via unanimous decision. NYSAC levied a six-month suspension and $10,000 fine on the unbeaten Nuyorican super middleweight. The punishment stems from Berlanga’s actions, when the Brooklyn native attempted to bite the former title challenger, Roamer Alexis Angulo, in the seventh round of their main event at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, Berlanga’s promoter, told Fight Freaks Unite: “Obviously, it’s a bad intentional foul, biting your opponent, so I can’t quarrel with the action of the commission.” “He knows better and he’s got a lot of people counseling him that know better and, hopefully, he will learn a lesson.” “To make light of it and brag about it is what got him in trouble. He made it worse by making fun of it. When the time comes, we’ll sit down and talk with (his team) about what to do next.“ Meanwhile, Berlanga joked afterward, “I was about to do a Mike Tyson on him,” referencing when Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear back in 2007. But then apologized on Twitter the day after the fight, saying: “I want to apologize for my actions and what I said about the Mike Tyson bite.” “I was in the moment and got a little ahead of myself. It doesn’t take away from the embarrassment that I have caused upon myself, my team, Top Rank, and many others.“ “I reacted poorly and take full responsibility. Moving forward, I am going to be more mindful and encouraging in my behavior. Once again, I do apologize.“ NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 11: Edgar Berlanga celebrates after defeating Alexis Angulo during their NABO super middleweight Championship fight, at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images) The Top Rank-promoted super middleweight contender Berlanga won the fight by a 10-round unanimous decision over the 38-year-old Angulo by the scores 98-92, 99-91, and 99-91 in a contest that appeared to be much closer. Indeed, fans, many of them, saw Angulo as the winner, and they viewed the wide scores as a sick joke. With the suspension being six months, Berlanga will have a chance to return to the ring in December for his third fight in 2022. That’s not to say that he will, but the opportunity will be there.
