Edgar Berlanga wins by TKO at Zuffa Boxing 09 as referee steps in to save Butler in round 7
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK — Edgar Berlanga got the homecoming fight he wanted, and in the end, he got the finish he wanted too. The Brooklyn native stopped Steven Butler at 1:14 of the seventh round Sunday night at Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden, in a fight loaded with bad blood between two noted knockout artists.
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The stoppage capped a night that produced fireworks well before the main event. Vladyslav Sirenko delivered the finish of the evening before the main card even began, dropping Otto Wallin with a right hook into a left hook to the temple at 2:59 of the 10th round. Wallin did not move for several tense minutes as medical staff rushed in, though he eventually sat up and got to his feet under his own power. In the co-main event, Richardson Hitchins made his Zuffa Boxing debut a statement, sweeping every round on the cards and calling out Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia afterward, telling them to come get it.
Otto Wallin lies on the canvas after a brutal knockout from in the final seconds of the last roundEd Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
Otto Wallin lies on the canvas after a brutal knockout from Vladyslav Sirenko in the final seconds of the last round at Zuffa 09 in New York City.
Berlanga opened patiently against Butler, working behind a stiff jab in round one instead of rushing into the kind of firefight a puncher like Butler invites. He carried that same control into round two, but Butler made him pay for a late lapse, dropping him in the final seconds with a left hand after Berlanga had controlled most of the round.
The referee gives Edgar Berlanga a standing 8 count following a knockdown by Steven Butler in the second roundEd Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
The referee gives Edgar Berlanga a standing 8 count following a knockdown by Steven Butler in the second round
That knockdown set off a wild third round. Berlanga came out firing, battering Butler around the ring with heavy, clubbing shots. Butler survived any way he could, clinching, dipping away from punches and even attempting a takedown, like he was auditioning for a UFC card, before landing a pair of big shots of his own right before the bell.
Steven Butler lands a right hook on Edgar Berlanga that temporarily stuns him and pushes him backEd Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
Steven Butler lands a right hook on Edgar Berlanga that temporarily stuns him and pushes him back
The back-and-forth carried through rounds four and five, with Berlanga generally landing the heavier, more effective shots. In the sixth, he closed strong with a barrage of big right hands that put Butler down for a count. The punishment was enough that between rounds, the referee warned Butler's corner he had 60 seconds in round seven to show he could still defend himself, or it would be over.
The referee gives Steven Butler a mandatory 8 count after Edgar Berlanga sent him to the canvas in sixth roundEd Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
The referee gives Steven Butler a mandatory 8 count after Edgar Berlanga sent him to the canvas in sixth round
Butler answered early, landing a big right hand within the first minute to show he still had something left. But moments later, Berlanga loaded up again and connected with a multi-punch combo that repeatedly snapped Butler's head back. The referee had seen enough and dove in to stop it.
Edgar Berlanga snaps Steven Butler's head back with a left hand during their Zuffa Boxing 09 main event at Madison Square Garden.Ed Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
Edgar Berlanga snaps Steven Butler's head back with a left hand during their Zuffa Boxing 09 main event at Madison Square Garden.
The referee had seen enough and dove in to stop the fight and save Steven Butler from any further punishment in the seventh round against Edgar BerlangaEd Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
The referee had seen enough and dove in to stop the fight and save Steven Butler from taking any further punishment in the seventh round against Edgar Berlanga.
Through six completed rounds, all three judges had Berlanga in front, though closer than the finish suggested: 57-55, 58-54 and 57-55, with each card reflecting the knockdown swings in rounds two and six.
The win extended Berlanga's unbeaten record at Madison Square Garden to 6-0 and pushed his career mark to 24-2. More than the record, it marked his first fight back since a knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz, and Berlanga made clear afterward he is already eyeing the top of the super middleweight division again. Even a potential rematch with Sheeraz is in the realm of possibility.
Edgar Berlanga has his hand raised after his seventh-round TKO win over Steven Butler at Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden, Sunday, in New York.Ed Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
Edgar Berlanga has his hand raised after his seventh-round TKO win over Steven Butler at Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden, Sunday, in New York.
Speaking with Max Kellerman afterward, Berlanga was asked why he picked a dangerous puncher like Butler for his homecoming fight. He said it showed he is a true champion, that they fought a dangerous knockout artist and he wanted to prove they could get it done. Asked about how composed he looked even after getting dropped, Berlanga said he gave himself distance rather than rushing in, comparing a hurt opponent to a wounded animal that is still dangerous. He said that is what New York fans want, and that anyone born and raised in the city knows how gritty it has to be.
Edgar Berlanga speaks to Max Kellerman in the ring following his seventh round TKO against Steven Butler at Zuffa 09Ed Mulholland - Zuffa Boxing
Edgar Berlanga speaks to Max Kellerman in the ring following his seventh round TKO against Steven Butler at Zuffa 09
Berlanga was not shy about what he wants next, naming Jaime Munguia, Charlo, Chris Eubank Jr. and Caleb Plant, if he is still around, as the fights he is chasing.