Boxing
Keys to Victory: Where will Edgar Berlanga and Steven Butler land major damage?
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Edgar Berlanga has a blank slate to redeem himself and get back on track.
The Brooklyn, New York native makes his Zuffa Boxing debut tonight, headlining against Steven Butler in a super middleweight tilt inside the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The 29-year-old Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) suffered two brutal knockdowns before being stopped via fifth-round TKO by Hamzah Sheeraz last July and hasn’t been in action since. He faces a veteran in Butler (38-5-1, 32 KOs) who last defeated Ramadan Hiseni via second-round knockout in March. The Canadian has fought most of his bouts in his home country.
Will Berlanga get back into the win column, impressing in his first fight for Zuffa Boxing? Or will Butler spoil the party with a splashy performance of his own? DAZN News unpacks the Keys to Victory for both super middleweights.
Edgar Berlanga’s Keys to Victory
Keep a disciplined guard
Edgar Berlanga often runs into trouble when he shows a lapse in his guard. This could come when he’s rolling and moving his head off the center line or inexplicably getting caught with his guard lower than it should be.
To prevent either scenario from playing out against Steven Butler, the super middleweight must keep a tight, disciplined guard at all times.
Pounce on an overcommitting Butler
Over the course of his career — and in some fights more than others — Butler has shown a penchant for overextending with his attempts. The Canadian fighter leans over his feet when he punches in these sequences.
If Berlanga can spot and time this bad habit, he can potentially pounce on an unsuspecting Butler with some heavy-handed weaponry, especially a right hook with some spacing to it.
Step into the pocket with bursts
If you go back and watch Berlanga challenge Canelo Alvarez from back in September 2024, the Brooklyn, New York native had flashes of success when he stepped into the pocket and fired through the guard with straight bursts or around it with his hook.
If Berlanga wisely picks his spots in his Zuffa Boxing debut, he might prove Butler to be susceptible to either punch.
Steven Butler’s Keys to Victory
Establish a jab
Steven Butler owns two inches of reach advantage over Edglar Berlanga, and he can use it to pepper the New Yorker behind the jab.
If executed well, Butler might also be emboldened to start bringing heavier artillery behind the stick.
Catch a moving target in Berlanga
Review the fight footage from Berlanga’s devastating loss to Hamzah Sheeraz, and you’ll note how the latter caught a moving, rolling target in Berlanga with a raucous left hook. The punch started a world of trouble for Berlanga, who was eventually stopped in five rounds.
The key to the shot was its timing, as Sheeraz didn’t punch where Berlanga was, but instead placed the shot where he anticipated him to be. If Butler could look to time Berlanga the same way, he might have some unexpected success in the power department.
Plus, he could use that reach edge to catch a moving Berlanga with extra oomph.
Don’t get caught overextending
Just like Berlanga can be timed and caught by surprise if not alert, Butler has a penchant for sometimes leaning over his feet when he throws punches.
He cannot afford to do this with a power puncher with good hand speed like Berlanga, who launched his pro career with 16 straight first-round knockouts and would like nothing more than to add another highlight stoppage to his reel.
Who has the edge in Berlanga vs. Butler?
Analysis: DAZN News’ Mark Lelinwalla
If Edgar Berlanga, for any reason, shows a lapse in his guard, Steven Butler has the experience to make this fight interesting or win it altogether. However, I believe Berlanga has the talent, including power and speed, to get the best of Butler and by stoppage.
