Boxing with Chris MannixBoxing with Chris Mannix - The Canelo Sweepstakes
Mannix sits down with Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn to discuss the latest on Canelo Alvarez, Gervonta Davis’s decision to face Frank Martin, what’s next for Conor Benn, what Edgar Berlanga needs to do on Saturday and more; later, Mannix and Berlanga talk his win over Jason Quigley, rumors of a fight with Canelo and why he’s physically at his best for Saturday’s showdown with Padraig McCrory. #Volume #Herd
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Here's Chris Mannix.
All right.
Second podcast this week start at like doing to podcast started like getting more content out onto the podcast feed. If you missed the earlier episode, it was a conversation with Paul Spatafora, the former lightweight champion whose career was plagued by demons by.
Drug and alcohol issues.
Just a lot of things were going on in the life of Paul spatafora while, he was one of the top lightweights in all the box and we'll get into all of that in the last episode, So go back check that out if you haven't heard it yet. This week's episode or this episode they're about to listen to you right now more of a meat and potatoes boxing discussion. I am down in Orlando, Florida, the site of the Edgar Berlanga Patrick McGrory super middleweight fight. A lot on the line for Edgar Berlanga in this one. He has got to come up not just with a win, but a big win, an emphatic win, to put himself in the mix for big fights against Canelo Alvarez, against Jim mcgea, all the top tier guys. At one sixty eight, his promoter Eddie Heard joins me to sit down talk about that. We get into all the gossip, all the rumors that have flooded social media about Canelo Alvarez over the last couple of days. Eddie offers his insight into that. We also talk about the making of the Ryan Garcia Devin Hainey fight. The press tour for that event is going to be next week in New York in La be at the New York stop for that fight. Then Berlanga, what does Eddie Hearn need to see from Edgar Berlanga in this big matchup with Patrick McCrory. A little bit later on, Berlanga himself drops by and look, we get into the Quigly fight, which was a you know, look, it was a clear win, but not one that left a lot of people overly impressed with Edgar Berlanga. We talked about some of the changes that he's made and why he feels like he's at his best right now going into this fight.
So stick around for that.
Eddie Hearn gar Berlanga, two really good conversations on the show. One quick housekeeping note I mentioned on the last episode we are looking into doing a live show in advance of the Ryan Garcia Devin Haney fight. I was surprised to learn this week that that fight would be in New York. I'd been expecting it to be in Las Vegas over the last couple of weeks since that fight came together. It will be in New York at the Barclay Center, which actually is even better for doing a live show.
A lot of people in New York City.
A lot of people in and around New York City, easy city to get to if you want to come to this Garcia Hainey fight.
I think we're gonna do it.
I think we're gonna do a live show either Friday or maybe even Saturday afternoon before the Hainy Garcia fights. And I still want to get the feedback of this audience on that if we do a live show.
Would you be interested in going? Would you buy a ticket?
Would you want to be there and sit there for an hour hour and a half and listen to me and to Sergio and a whole bunch of other box people talk boxing for you know, an hour or so on this this feed So let me know you think. Get at me either in the comments on Apple podcast social media, a bunch of you commented to me already, love the feedback, Love this audience. You guys are as passionate as any audience in the podcast business. So I would love to get to hear from you as to whether or not you'd be interested in going to a live show. All right, So there's that. Now here is my conversation with Eddie Hearn. All right, Eddie Hearn is here. Matt Room Boxing's got a big show this weekend, headlined by super middleweight edgar Berlanga going up against Patrick McCrory. It's a fight you can watch live on his own. Eddie is with me for his semi regular State of Boxing appearance. And I know you've got your British guys, your Cougan's, your Parsons, but.
This is the American audience.
You're telling me, you'll write out that now.
We are forty five ffty thousand strong every weekend and they need this this conversation. We're actually thinking about doing a live show in New York before Garcia Haney, would you appear.
At the last Absolutely? If I'm not kicked tap by Oscar.
That's a separate conversation there. I want to get to this fight. You can hear the music in the background. Berlanga, McCrory, Wayhan about to start here in Orlando. But the news that is running rampant on social media is what is next for Canelo Alvarez. It's everywhere and there are like breadcrumbs being dropped by everyone out there. You had Canelo on Instagram posting a picture at a poker table that had Omaha on it, which led people to believe that Terrence Crawford was in the mix. You have Samson Lukawitz out there saying they have made an offer in excess of fifty five million dollars for Canelo to fight David Benavidez. Then just today you've Eddie also saying no one including Hearn, has offered Canalo a fight against David Benavidez. So as we sit here on Friday, what do you know about the future of Canalo Alvarez.
I know that he'll fight anybody. I mean, that's the first thing, you know. I've worked with him long enough to know that. I know that he's a smart businessman. I know he doesn't like to mess around. He doesn't like to be messed around as well. That if I'm looking at it commercially, the fight for him right now, he's heim in Mungeir. You know, I think that's a massive fight. Mungear was fantastic against Ryder, he stopped John Ryder. It's an all Mexican fight. The Benavidez fight is huge as well, and you know, even edgar Balanga, you know, a fight that could be huge with Mexico Puerto Rico. I appreciate Edgar's got to look good this weekend, may need another flagship win, but you know, I don't see why not. So I think the stage that sells at now he wants people to come to fight. He wants probably younger people with ambition that comes to actually give the public great fights, because I think he's probably feeling a little bit frustrated that people keep coming to fight him that don't actually try and walk him down, engage and try and win the fight, you know, particularly in the last fight against Charlie, and I think he probably feels that in the next fight, potentially against the brother, that would happen again. And let's be honest, who wants to see that fight. So he's obviously in the middle of an agreement or a promise from PBC, and I guess it's a case of whether they can deliver on their promises. He honestly never known him to not accept a fight, to turn down a fight, to say no to anybody. But it's got to make sense. And you know, I'm guessing they've had a plan, but the plan might have deviated and now it's up to Sail to see what his next move is.
Why do you think that the Benavidez fight is not an obvious fight for him, because even if the fifty five million is not true, it's probably still the biggest person he can get to fight. Anyone at super middleweed or below. Benavidez is the most accomplished guy. He hasn't fight yet, and to your point, he comes to fight, he's not going to be, you know, running the way jermaltralis.
Why is that fate in your mind? With what you know?
Not the obvious it is the obvious fight. But obviously they had a plan, you know when they sat down on this three fight plan. By the sounds of things, they didn't sign an agreement that had David Benavidez in it. Otherwise say I will be taking that fight. So you know, like I've spoke to say a couple of times, I know he take the David Benavidez fight. Absolutely, no problem with that at all. I think he's excited by that fight. He's excited by Mungir, he's excited by Blanka because he's excited by people that come to fight. He's also earned the riot to do whatever he wants, like he's done everything in this boot. He's created all the legacies won all the championships, and he's going to take the fights he wants to fight. But I reiterate, those are the fights that excite him, and I know the Benavidez fight would excite him. But he's obviously in the middle now of a like I said, a contract or a plan or a promise, and if the promise or plan falls apart, maybe you don't see the Benavidez fight. So you know, he knows exactly what he's doing. Him and Edie Ray knows so smart operators, and you know, I'm sure they'll make the right moves.
To your point, he signed a three fight deal with PBC. Do you get any sense that it may not be a three fight deal with PBC and that, you know, if he's going to do Mongia Berlanga fights that brings him back to your neck of the words. Yeah.
I mean, firstly, we never had anything official. I did say this at the time. You know, Sal's always been against you know, especially over the last three or four years, signing a longer term deal. I think the longest one we did with him was two, So I was a bit surprised when I heard the three. I don't know you know the legalities of it. But if there's a plan that was originally not being adhered to or potentially deviate it upon, he could make another move. Obviously, we can make the Timi mungea fire instantly on the zone Mungeir is exclusive to his own with Golden Boy, so that's an obvious move to make. We also have Eggabalanga. But you know, I think sau Will you know, certainly look to keep some of his independents to be able to do basically what he wants.
So you add a brief flirtation with Gervarte Davis. That was one of several flirtations you've had with Gervante Davis over the years. What was your reaction when it was reported that Gervante is going to face Frank Martin at some point in the next few months.
Yeah, I don't know, really, I don't have too much to sign it. I mean, look, we made Javonti and offer with a you know, eight figure minimum with plenty of upside, could have made him up to probably twenty million dollars to fight Connor Ben. I thought, I actually thought, you know, I mean, look, I think Connor Ben's a really good fighter, but he hasn't yet beat anyone of elite world level, and I think that's why Givonte called him out and said, that's easy work for me, but a bit strange when they're not really willing to even sit down and entertain a conversation to fight a guy that they may, you know, call out as easy work. So Frank Martin, yeah, I mean to know, is it a good fight? Yeah? I guess so, not really, I know, Frank Martin, I don't think anybody else really does. But he's going to do what he's going to do.
You know.
I think some people are very good at talking to people and convincing people that they need to, you know, stay in their lane and do this rather than actually gain and have a sensible business conversation with somebody else. You can really pollute someone's mind, you know. I mean, bear in mind, I've met Javonta Davis for about two minutes in my life and we had a really nice conversation. It's just before the way and when he beat Padraza for the world title. Like the fact that he's not even willing to open up a conversation for twenty or twenty five million dollars in a fight that you know, he probably thinks he's quite straightforward for him, just shows you the pollution that exists in boxing. But these are smart people, you know, and they like to, you know, make sure that people don't dev eight from the original plan that might have been set in about eight years ago.
So where do you turn now with Connor Ben? It was just a few weeks ago you said there was plans to have an appeal over in the UK. I don't know if there's any kind of new information on that, but regardless, where do you turn now with Connor Ben?
I think that Connor Ben has plenty of options. You know, some are realistic, some are not realistic. You know, you saw Danny Garcia come out in the week and you know, I think that that's a great fight. Danny Garcia has huge credibility in the US, huge credibility in the UK. One about preferred fights, he's actually Marios Barross. You know, he's WBC ento in wel toweight World Championship. That's a fight that could put him in a great position at one hundred and forty seven pounds. Obviously, there's the U Bank Debarcle, there's Liam Smith, there's Kelbrook, they're all UK fights that will see if possible pending this appeal coming up?
Is that coming up? Like, I mean, it's been.
Done, it's been done, So we wait on a decision. Yeah, yeah, which is apparently two weeks, but we've heard two weeks many times before, so.
It's imminent and you're optimistic.
Yeah, as we've been told him and he won the case, been told that he'll win the appeal, but anything can happen, so that will determine where he fights next. If it's in the UK, then you know, the names that I mentioned are all possible, but if it's in the US, it will be more of a specific opponent. But you know, I do like the Marios Baris fight. I think he's a really competitive fight and a fight that really will position him at World Honors rather than just a big name, you know.
And Barrios is probably going to become the full champion because I don't think Terrence Crawford's going to fight him, and eventually the WBC, I would a would move him up and he's not going to get that Bootella's fight now because it sounds like Cody Crowley is in line for that fight. So that's a pretty good fight to make. Straight after this event, you are headed to New York for the press conference of Ryan Garcia and Devin Heeney working with all Palascar for this kind of Yeah, I'm sure they're really asking their opinion on a lot of things right now. I was a little bit surprised this fake I be because you've got two guys that you know, make a lot of money and have big eagles.
But at first he jokes aside, I'll be there to support Devin and the z own. You know, a lot of the work has been done by Bill Hainey and Oscar. We're there to support him and have been, and it's really a Devin's done fantastically well to land this fight, because I do think it's the perfect fight for him. I don't think it's an easy fight, by the way. I think actually the style of Ryan Garcia is actually quite difficult for Devin in terms of who he could fight like. He's reflex he's a good he's fast, he can punch, he's young, you know, and I think Devin will have his work cut. I expect him to win, but I think it's like I have to take my hat off to Ryan Garcia, as well because he's a big name. He didn't have to take this fight. He fought Tank, he came back with a win, and this is his chance to you know, really establish himself, win a world title against arguably the most difficult man to be in boxing now pound for pound. You know, Devin is a fantastic tactician, a very bright fighter. I actually love the move to take the fight to the Berkley Center in Brooklyn. I think, you know, people saying, oh, why is this not fighting not in Vegas? Not every fight has to go in Las Vegas? And if Canelo box is there on made a fourth, you know, why not take it to New York Brooklyn. Brooklyn and Barkley Center is a great venue and I think it'll do really well.
That fight is for a one hundred and forty pound title.
You recently signed Subrio Mattias, who has another version of that belt. What are your plans from a Tias over the next couple of fights? I was reading leam parrel now out of.
Not necessarily Okay, not necessarily. I mean, look, matching Sabrill Matias is not easy. Like when I signed him, the amount of people that came up to me in boxing and went, wow, now that is amazing.
I've heard similar things.
There's yeah, he's a rough, bad beut I mean, So for me, I want to give him that homecoming fight in Puerto Rico in June. Get him a top fifteen name, Really start pushing profile because you see him boxing. Everybody's going to use the excuse of, oh, you know, not enough people know who he is. Do you know what I mean? Not enough people know who you know? What's the value in fighting him even with a world titled, Because that's the excuse I would make if I didn't represent Subrill Matis.
Oh you went through this with Demetrius, Andrea had got four years.
Yeah. But the difference with this is Demetrius is tricky, Sabrille is dangerous, and I don't know a lot of people, big names that will be willing to put it on the line against him for the title, even though but if he didn't have a title, he'd be in no man's land. But he's got a world title that gives him a lot of leverage. Now what we've got to do is increase his profile. Shout with a megaphone, let everybody know this is a real you know, a Puerto Rican Great, We've got to take him home to Puerto Rico. We've got to do fifteen thousand tickets. He's got to be in a fantastic fight, thrill the audience, and then we move with a momentum to try and secure a bigger though for the next one. And if that's not a unification fight, it's a Regius Program, or it's a Jose Ramirez, or it's you know those kind of guys, you know, even a Jack Catchrell, Josh Taylor Winner, you know, and I'm this guy will fight anyone. And he's one of those guys that you represent and you know you can just throw in and he's got a great, great chance in every fight that exists in boxing.
I'm sure Richardson Hitchins who listens to the show is wondering where he.
Fits in in the MANUFA essentially exactly. So is that something that's a showing really? I mean, you know, He's fight against Lemos is a final eliminator. And if Richardson wants to fight Matiirs, look that's a that's a really good matchup because Richardson is an outstanding fighter, smart fighter, and although Matiirs is strong and dangerous and a huge puncher. Richardson's very difficult to beat, you know, almost like the same kind of score as Devin. I mean, look, the winner of Devin Haney against Ryan Garcia against Superill Matias in a unification is another big matchup. But that's a really risky fight. But Devin and Richardson, they're the kind of guys with the skills that are going to call Sabrill probably the most issues.
Are you and Devin going to be able to avoid Sandra Martin to keep that belt.
Because well, you know, I think I think that's tough. They've got him to, you know, have a rest and stand by, but it won't last forever. But you know, I want to see unifications. I want to see people win all the belts. But at the same time, you want to see the best fights. You know, and even catch you against Taylor. We sold out on the first day, you know, like ten eleven thousand tickets. Incredible no belt, you know, great narrative, great history, but it just just shows you Javonte against Ryan, you know, no belt. But every fighter wants to win a world championship, every fighter wants a unify.
Spacey pressed Torus for both absolutely certainly, let's talk about this card coming up on Saturday night. You have had a lot of fun antagonizing Keishan Davis when it comes to Andy Kruez. So I think I saw a video of you seeing basically you'll fight him for effectively free, you'll pay Andy Kruz send him over to ESPN do a fight with Keishan Davis, Andy lagree as last time. That's to me, that was exactly what you needed to see from Andy Ckrus get an early knockout and started to build this profile. But you've experienced this with with young fighters and even though Andy's on a fast track, how do you get guys to fight him, because that's that's going to be a challenge.
Yeah, it's the same thing we talked about super Real matis, Like they will use the excuse of he's a Cuban. No one knows who is. Like a lot of people are talking about Andykruz, and you know, I find it really interesting that Keishean was told off last night. You know, put a tweet out saying send me in off as straight after the fossil accept it and he deleted it about ten minutes later, which is basically a phone call from top rank to say take that down. Now, you know what I mean, and listen. Keishawan would fight him, no doubt. He's a fighter, you know, but he will be told by Brad Goodman and people who really know they're boxing over at top rank ready in no way we are not going near Andy Kruz. So we're gonna have some fun with it. And I don't I don't do that to use Kei Shawn's name, because with all due respect, I'll be using Devin's name or you know, tier Femo's name, or you know Tank's name, or anybody around one thirty five. But at the end of the day, there is history there, there is narrative. I believe we can't lose that fight. So I am going to make him an offer that's going to make him extremely uncomfortable, and I'm going to say, you know, almost to a point where you could actually pay him nothing. We'll come for free and I'll pay just stick him on the headline on the ESPN and see what happens. But we all know what's going to happen. You know, they'll never take the fight, So we can't base our career back around keish or Dave, especially when he's beating what four times four nil in the Amateurs and the Olympics. So but this is actually a tougher fight for Andy. Like Zamaripa can move a bit like Strafon in the last fight just came like he just actually walked Strafon down. Normally it's in reverse, you know, And that was impressive.
It was really impressive. See any evolution.
This will be trickier because Amaripa can actually box off the front and back foot. And I thought, you know, many thought people beat Hashiro in Tijuana's a very close fight. So we'll see how he looks his Saturday.
All right, last thing for you is Edgar Berlanga. Let's start with his last fight. How did you feel about that performance against Jason Quigley?
Solid? You know, I mean, you know, he dropped him in the early in the fight, and if he gets him out of there right then it's a real statement, ends up going the full distance, drops him again or hurts him badly. And I think the twelfth been out of the ring for a long time. I think this fight's gonna tell us a lot more because I think McCrory is a lot more dangerous than Jason Quigley. Jason Quigley technically maybe more sound, certainly a better amateur pedigree, been boxing for longer, but McCrory's big strong one sixty eight quickly was coming up from middleway. McCrory can really punch. It just comes down to how good he is under that kind of pressure at that level. But what I'm looking for is a spectacular performance, because if I'm going to bang from the rooftops, you know, scream and shout for him to go on and fight, you know, a massive fight with Canelo or Mungia, he's got to make a statement. And it's if he makes a statement here, it'll be really explosive because these two will meet in the middle of the ring and they can both really hit.
Is it fair to say that he outcomes similar to Jason Quigley would be kind of a loss forever, I.
Think so, I mean, he has to be exciting, you know. Listen, McCrory is top five in the world with some governing bodies, so any kind of victory is positive. But for me to be able to really push those mega fights, I need a statement for a Gablanga in Orlando on Saturday.
If Canelo moves fights in the PBC universe and his next fight, how confident are you that Berlanga Mungia will be the next fight for Boss.
Yeah, to be honest, it's such a great natural fight, you know, I believe it's a fifty to fifty Mexico against Puerto Rico.
But you're not sound confident that it can will be me?
It will, But I think Canelo will may fight Mungia next Balanga. Yeah, I mean, I just don't know.
It comes back to that.
Yeah, it does. I mean, it all depends on. But look, if Canelo doesn't, it has to be Mungear against Bilanger, you know, and that should be the final eliminator for Canelo Alvarez. But we've got two credible, exciting opponents ready to go on the zone for Canelo Alvarez. One is Blanga, one is Mungeir. But but Edgar's got to, like I said, make that statement on Saturday to put his name in the hat.
Took a kid's to Disney World down here, didn't mate.
I will never ones behind me, but I will never moan about being on my own in a hotel again, because having my kids here this week this has been a great experience, but wow, Universal Studio is still about nine o'clock last night, and then and then Benny Harner's got in about eleven. Never works so hard.
That is the most American experience.
You can just stick me on a plane to Seldi. I'll just travel every day. It's a lot easier, Eddie.
I appreciate it. Cheers mate, and when we come back.
My conversation with Edgar Berlanga. All right, Edgar just finished pre fight press conference. Anything feel different about this fight?
My mentality, you know, my mental feels a lot different. I feel like I had a fucking great camp. Sorry for cursing Yeah, I had a great camp.
To curse here.
I had a great camp. So that's why I'm like, I'm happy, man. My weight is good. Camp went amazing.
For the for the I'll say for the first time man, because you know a lot of fighters go through a lot and camp, you know, with injuries and you know, getting sick. You know, because of the immune system and stuff. You know a lot of real fighters understand this. So you know, we was injury free, you know sick. You know, we haven't got sick, so you know that's the most impoint thing. I'm just happy, man, I'm excited. You know, it's a big weekend for me.
Orlando.
This is little Puerto Rico as I call it, because you know, all the Puerto Ricans moved from Puerto Rico over here, So it's gonna be a big night.
Man.
You called Orlando your second home this week? Feel that way?
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
You know, my whole family, like my grandmother lives like here, all my aunt's, uncles, cousins like besides New York, I have a lot of family that live out here, you know, and and in Puerto Rican.
You know what I'm saying.
So you know it's gonna be a lot of flags, a lot of Puerto Rican flags out there tonight Saturday.
Yeah, man, I'm excited.
So when you talk about being injury free, how banged up have you been going into previous fights and how do you feel that's affected your performances?
You know, first the phones with the whole When I told my bicep with corsettas right in Vegas, you know that that injury. I tell this to everybody my own waist. I don't know, fighter man, like tearing the bicep in a fight. The amount of you know, therapy you have to get on it is insane, Bro, and it's like if you don't maintain it, it'll just get worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. So you know, I'm happy that you know this camp. You know, for the five months we've been training, we've been attacking like heavy, you know what I'm saying. And I'm good. I feel strong, man, Like I feel great. I'm in great spirits, you know, going in through camp. You know, you gotta understand, like see the last fight with Quickly a week and a half before the fire, blew my hamstring out, sprinting on the truckmill for my last you know set of sprints trying to give me and then with the elbow thing again in the biceps.
So it was like it was just a lot, Bro.
And then my weight so it was like then I was just getting back with Mark, with my first trainer, So it was like it was a lot going on, you know, But I'm happy that, you know, I came right back. I moved to Tampa, I got out of New York and I'm here.
Man, blowing your hamstring out sounds like a pretty serious issue. I mean, a lot of athletes they need to take a lot of time off with something like that.
Yeah, in front of Jesus man.
You know when I when I blew it, I was sprinting and I just felt the pull, bad boom, and I jumped off the tread and my dad was screaming at me, why the fuck? Because I felt I felt good, bro, And I was sprinting like on fifteen point zero the treble, So I couldn't walk and I'm not I started panicking.
I caught.
I had a black and blue on my hamstring in the back of my leg. I couldn't run. I couldn't do.
Shiit, bro.
It was like that whole week and a half closer two weeks, it was like bad, bro, Like we couldn't run, We couldn't I couldn't do no step over.
It was a lot, bro. I had to do fucking you.
Know, treatment therapy every day, every twice a day, twice is like trying to get it right.
You know.
Did that impact your movement in that fight against Quickly?
Did it impact how you had to fight?
Yeah? A thousands percent.
You know, like my legs just felt like like Samanthia after that, you know, and if you know, when you you know you're blowing hamstring out, its tough man.
It's not it's not the same. You know. I couldn't even respawn.
I was supposed to spot at least twice twice more time after after, after that happened, I couldn't.
When you beat quickly, you beat him convincingly, you knock him down four times, you get a decision, you go twelve rounds for the first time in your career. But because of what you accomplished early in your career, whenever you don't get a knockout, people wonder what happened to Edgar Berlanga's power?
Is he still that same guy? Could you feel some of that even after the Quickly fight?
Oh yeah, yeah, I felt it. Well, I felt it less more, you know, because obviously I dropped him four times. So but you know, people got to understand, like Quickly came in tremendous shape for that fight. He had a game plan to be differently thousand percent. Anybody like the way we were studying him was like different. And you know what, Andalisa, he said. They thought we was gonna come in like the old that guy. We came in you know different, So you know, I know every fighter is gonna come in like this guy this week. And you know, Patrick is the biggest fight of his career. He keeps saying it it's a life changeing fight. So I know every fighter that fight feels the same exact way. You get what I'm saying, And that's why we got to be on point. We gotta stay ten toes down. We got to be shock because you know, anything can happen in boxing, and the split second you know, you get hit with a shot you don't see, or if you're not training properly because you think.
I'm gonna walk through this guy.
This guy's easy work, and then shit happens, you know, So we we prep every well for each fighter.
Sixteen fight, first round knockout streak made you a big name early on in your career, But as you look back at it now, was there a curse element to it because you raised expectations to a completely unrealistic level.
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, and it's crazy because my career is crazy. You know, you got your first sixteen fights first round knockouts and then you go to distance five times in a row.
It's crazy.
But you know I need I needed this, and I always say this God's plan, you know, isn't my plan. I think everything happens for a reason, Like I truly believe that, Like when God wants something for you to go a certain way, He's gonna make everything possible for you to go that way, you know, and I'll leave it in his hands. You know, I didn't lose no power. I didn't lose no straits, none of that.
You know.
Obviously the competition got better, and you know, and now I'm with Mark and it's like, now you can't just go out there just blowing guys out. Now you got to look for those shots. You got to use IQ. You got to have that that will power. You have to have to have that mental you know, where to set your shots up and land good shots and get him out of the break him down if you have to, and then eventually get him out of this.
So that's what we've been working on. Now. You know, it's a different board game.
Now, you know, I'm at that elite level where I have to do that, you know, And how I was fighting before, you know, that wasn't it, you know, just going in there and just bombing dudes out. You know that's not boxing. So you know now you know it's a different it's a different time now, you.
Know, second training camp in a row now working with Mark. What kind of difference has that make having had him back in your life, back in your career.
One is the mental We always speak about mental. He always pushes me mentally, like every day, like even days like when I'm sparring. Like there was a day when I was spawning in this camp, right and I didn't feel good and I told them, like in the second round, I was like, your Mark, and I had like three guys that had Naji Lopez, I had that Saint and I hadn't got Patrick Corter that lined up. And I looked at them. I was like, then we got to do twelve rounds today. I was like, fuck, And I didn't feel good at all, Bro, and I'm in the second round in the spawn, I'm like Mark, I fieldger, He's all right, you gotta push.
I'm a frank come. I was like, yo, were good. It rouns good?
You know what I'm saying, Like because I didn't feel good and I stopped him. I said, no, I'm Mark. I had to do these twelve. Let me, let me break this shit right, even though I don't feel me And obviously cause we in camps and you got certain days of were you off, and you know, we pushed man. So that's one of the main things that I have the connection with Markets that he pushes me mentally, you know, and then everything else comes after that. You know, once your mentor's right, the boxing becomes easy, you know, once you have that mental fo to two.
And also you know working with his brother, ray For Wright. You know, if you don't know him, ray For Wright is his brother.
He was supposed to be the biggest thing coming out of you know, New York behind you know, Mike Tyson, and you know Son happened with him an incident and you know he couldn't box no more. But you know, I have him in my partner as well, and you know he pushes me mentally, you know, and and then everything comes after that.
Brother, you're fighting Patrick McCrory. I've watched a lot of his fights over the last couple of weeks. In the fights I've seen he's a banger, like, he comes out especially early on looking to fight.
Are you expecting him to fight that way?
Oh? Of course, you know he has a game plan, you know, and we know that. So even if he comes out to bang, right, I know that once I touch him or he feels any type of like power, even with the jab, I know his game plan is going to change, you know, even like if he tries to come out and fight. But a lot of these guys are going to try to come around and move around. You know, he's gonna probably try to mix it up a little bit, keep moving, keep moving using his legs. I feel like he don't have the legs that Quickly got Quickly had tremendous legs. He doesn't have that because he relies on that right hand and those upper cuts, you know, so he could he He's going to get it either way, you know, whether he tries to move around as much as he wants or if he tries to bang.
You know we did for that too.
So by down on our mouthfeast, you know what I'm saying, and just dig deep and just dig deep and break his body down.
Everyone knows what you want. You want the big fights. You want Canelo, you want him Mangia. Eddie Hern just moments ago said, if you look spectacular in this fight, you deserve a shot against Canelo and may Canelo as we speak, does not have a opponent's set for me. Do you think about that at all when you're preparing for a fight. Does that in your mind about how you're going to fight on Saturday night?
Yeah? So like.
During camp, you know, I think about everything, you know, these all these fighters and stuff, but I try to like zone in on my fighter, on a gum fighting because none of that is possible unless I get through this weekend. You know what I'm saying. And none of this is possible if I don't get it, get through this guy in a fashionable way the way we want it, you know, superstar status this weekend.
So I gotta look great.
I gotta perform. I gotta look like a superstar this weekend. Man, sound like a bright domond, you know, sew all the critics up set, everybody up put the one sixty eight division. I'll notice call out Canelo after we beat this dude, you know, call a mug and just you know, and just really turn it up this year.
What does the superstar performance look like to you in your mind? What is a a plus performance for me? You know, I know I got heavy hands. But it is my boxing ability. You know, it's still got box great legs, you know, great jab, great head movement, great feet, you know, and just shineing and have fun, you know. Once all that and then your mind is right, your mental is right. This sky's a limit, man. And that's what I mean about superstar status. You know what I'm saying.
I going there and just shine, going in and just show and prove everything that I've been fighting for for the last twenty years since i was seven years old. You know, make it out, come to display this weekend.
And this is you at one hundred percent, right, no, no physical issues coming in for the first time in a long time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I feel good, man. You know, I'm happy. You know, this weekend is a big, a big weekend. Superstar status. I keep saying, man, super sauce status, superstar status, this weekend.
All right, Edgar, Good luck man, Thank you brother. I appreciate it. Thank you guys.
That's it for this week's episode. By thanks to Eddie Hearn and Edgar Berlanga for joining the show. As always, subscribe, rate review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you download podcasts, and I'll see you next week.
Thank you so much.
I go sleep
