“What is this guy talking about, I will knock him out”; Edgar Berlanga, who has won 16 of his 17 fights with first round knockouts, sent an ominous warning to Briton Rocky Fielding on social media
Thursday 19 August 2021 23:00, UK
Edgar Berlanga has threatened to inflict a crushing defeat on Rocky Fielding after the super-middleweights became embroiled in a heated social media row.
Berlanga has emerged as a dangerous contender, having knocked out 16 of 17 opponents inside the opening round, while he floored Demond Nicholson on four occasions in his only fight that ended in a points win.
But Fielding has questioned Berlanga's level of opposition in an Instagram message which read: "Get Bob [Arum] to call when you're finished fighting taxi drivers."
The Brooklyn-based puncher wasn't best pleased with the jibe, firing back on Twitter: "What is this guy talking about, I will knock him out."
Fielding, a former WBA world champion, responded: "When you're ready then."
The Liverpudlian has not fought since 2019, while Berlanga has since gained a reputation as one of the hottest prospects in the 168 pound division.
Fielding suffered a third round stoppage defeat in the biggest fight of his career, a WBA title defence against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in 2018.
Canelo's resume includes wins over the likes of Amir Khan, Gennadiy Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev, but Top Rank boss Arum nonetheless wants to guide Berlanga towards the Mexican superstar, who takes on Caleb Plant in November in a fight to unify the super-middleweight titles.
"We hope within the next two years, he progresses enough that we can put him in with Canelo," Arum told Sky Sports.
"A Puerto Rican against a Mexican in the United States is a dynamite fight.
"It depends on him and how he progresses. I think he has the goods.
"We are giving him every opportunity."
