Berlanga admits Padraig McCrory caused him ‘sleepness nights’
The relief was clear to see. Edgar Berlanga jumped up on the ropes and let out a roar of delight while fighting back tears of joy.
It was obvious the Padraig McCrory win was massive for the New York native and most surmised his reaction was an indication of the pressure he was under going into the fight.
However, it appears the Matchroom prospect had more than Eddie Hearn’s calls for a statement performance, pressure to return to knockout winning ways and a possible Canelo fight weighing heavy on his shoulders.
The big-hitting Puerto Rican-backed fighter admitted McCrory and the Belfast fighter’s ability was a massive concern for him throughout the build-up to their Orlando fight.
Berlanga says the prospect of sharing the ring with ‘The Hammer’ caused him sleepless nights.
“It feels amazing [to get the knockout],” said Berlanga during his post-fight interview with DAZN.
“I was losing sleep over this fight. People don’t understand, Irish mother f**kers are strong. And he’s undefeated, and he came to fight. He travelled all this way to win and brought his family to see him win,” a relieved Berlanga added.
Speaking on the sixth round stoppage win, he says patience played a positive part.
“People are intimidated by my power, so I didn’t want to just be an offensive fighter. I’m learning how to put my defense together, psych them out, and then start landing my punches. I was breaking him down little by little.”
After suffering the first defeat of a 19-fight career, McCrory, 35, will return home in the coming days and contemplate his next move.
Speaking on social media after he said: “Devastated… I will be off social media for a few days Thanks for all the support!”
