3/19 ESPN: Edgar Berlanga vs Steve Rolls / Xander Zayas vs Quincy LaVallais

[patscorpio]

Three future fistic superstars are set to unite under the Madison Square Garden spotlight.

Brooklyn-born super middleweight sensation Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga will defend his NABO belt against crafty Canadian Steve Rolls in the 10-round main event Saturday, March 19 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Berlanga, whose family hails from San Juan, Puerto Rico, makes his main event debut in his stiffest test to date.

In the junior middleweight co-feature, 19-year-old Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas will fight in his first scheduled eight-rounder against Louisiana-born spoiler Quincy “Chico” LaVallais.

The eight-round televised opener will see the return of lightweight U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis against Mexican veteran Esteban Sanchez.

Berlanga-Rolls, Zayas-LaVallais and Davis-Sanchez will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $51 go on sale Friday, Jan. 28 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or MSG.com.

“Edgar, Xander and Keyshawn are future pound-for-pound superstars, and it will be a special evening in front of a sold-out New York City crowd,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “All three are in there with the toughest fights of their respective careers, but I expect them to pass with flying colors.”

Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) took the boxing world by storm with 16 straight first-round knockouts to open his pro career. He went the distance twice in 2021, opening his campaign in April by knocking down Demond Nicholson four times in eight rounds in an ESPN-televised rout. Berlanga returned on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III card in October, defeating Marcelo Esteban Coceres via 10-round unanimous decision despite suffering a torn biceps in the third round and the first knockdown of his career in the ninth.

Berlanga said, “I’m so excited to fight in my first main event in my hometown. It’s a dream come true for a fighter representing New York City and Puerto Rico. I can’t wait to show the world what I’m truly about. We are going to blow the roof off the Hulu Theater, so grab your tickets early and get your popcorn ready for this performance.”

Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs), a 37-year-old from Toronto, is an 11-year pro who was an undefeated middleweight contender before moving up in weight. In June 2019, he challenged pound-for-pound stalwart Gennadiy Golovkin at Madison Square Garden and found some success in the second round before being stopped in the fourth. Rolls has tallied two wins since the Golovkin bout, most recently knocking out Christopher Brooker in the ninth round last month on the Artur Beterbiev-Marcus Browne undercard in Montreal.

Rolls said, “I'm happy to be back headlining at Madison Square Garden. Training camp has been going well, and I feel very strong with nothing but war on my mind. Berlanga has power, but I'll be ready for whatever he brings. I’m looking forward to March 19. I'll see you then.”

Zayas (12-0, 9 KOs) had a breakthrough 2021, going 6-0 with four knockouts while being mentioned prominently in Prospect of the Year debates. He made his Madison Square Garden debut last December and finished his 2021 campaign by knocking out Alessio Mastronunzio in the first round. He steps up against LaVallais (12-2-1, 7 KOs), who notched a December 2020 upset over Clay Collard at the MGM Grand Bubble. LaVallais, who is 2-2 since the Collard victory, has never been knocked out.

Zayas said, "It's an honor to fight again at Madison Square Garden, where I know my Puerto Rican people will come out to show their support. 2021 was a great year, but I'm looking forward to an even bigger 2022. Quincy LaVallais is a solid veteran, so I can't overlook him. I want to make a major statement on March 19."

Davis (4-0, 3 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, won three bouts in the first five months of 2021 before journeying to Tokyo and earning a silver medal. He then signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank and improved to 4-0 with a second-round stoppage over Jose Zaragoza on December 11. Davis makes his 2022 debut against Sanchez (18-1, 8 KOs), a 23-year-old from Ensenada, Mexico, who has won two straight bouts and will be making his American debut.

Davis said, “I put on a show at Madison Square Garden in December, and I’m going to do it again. Esteban Sanchez is supposed to be my hardest fight as a pro, but it’s going to be easy work. The Davis Brothers are coming to represent Norfolk and leave no doubt that we are the future of boxing.”

Undercard action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ and is scheduled to include a host of undefeated talents, including Puerto Rican junior welterweight John “El Terrible” Bauza (16-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-rounder, welterweight and Berlanga’s New York City stablemate Pablo “Pretty Boy” Valdez (6-0, 5 KOs) in a six-round attraction, Puerto Rican junior lightweight Henry “Moncho” Lebron (14-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder, and a four-rounder featuring junior welterweight Kelvin Davis (3-0, 2 KOs).

 

[patscorpio]

John Bauza vs. Tony Luis Set as Telecast Opener For Berlanga-Rolls

BY RANDOM HITS
Published Fri Mar 11, 2022, 03:12 PM EST


Lightweight star Keyshawn Davis, the Olympic silver medalist from Norfolk, Virginia, has a non-COVID-related virus and was forced to withdraw from his March 19 bout against Esteban Sanchez at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The new televised opener will feature Puerto Rican junior welterweight prospect John “El Terrible” Bauza against Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis in an eight-rounder. Bauza joins a pair of his countrymen atop the MSG bill, as super middleweight Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga battles Steve Rolls in the 10-round main event. Xander Zayas, San Juan’s 19-year-old phenom, takes on Louisiana native Quincy LaVallais in the eight-round co-feature.

Berlanga-Rolls, Zayas-LaVallais and Bauza-Luis will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Bauza (16-0, 7 KOs), from Cataño, Puerto Rico, enters this assignment coming off the two most impressive showings of his career. Last June, he knocked down Christon Edwards three times en route to a second-round stoppage. Bauza followed the Edwards domination with last December’s fourth-round drubbing over the previously unbeaten Michael Williams Jr. The 23-year-old southpaw now steps up against Luis (29-4, 10 KOs), a 34-year-old who has knocked off three undefeated prospects in his career. He went unbeaten for more than five years until an August 2020 decision loss to top contender Arnold Barboza Jr.

 

[patscorpio]

Edgar Berlanga vs. Steve Rolls - Undercard Information

BY RANDOM HITS
Published Tue Mar 15, 2022, 03:22 PM EDT


Featherweight prospect Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington, the latest standout boxer to come from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, makes his New York City debut this Saturday, March 19 in a six-rounder against Yeuri Andujar at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Carrington-Andujar, which will be contested at junior lightweight, highlights undercard action before the 10-round super middleweight main event featuring Brooklyn’s Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga against Steve Rolls.

Berlanga-Rolls, an eight-round junior middleweight bout between Xander Zayas and Quincy LaVallais, and unbeaten junior welterweight John Bauza in an eight-rounder versus Tony Luis will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Carrington-Andujar and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.

Carrington (2-0, 1 KO) had a nearly decade-long run as one of Team USA’s star amateurs, including a victory in the 125-pound division of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He turned pro last October on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard and made his Top Rank debut in January with a stunning second-round stoppage over Steven Brown. Andujar (5-4-1, 3 KOs), from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, is coming off a six-round draw last December against Pablo Cruz (22-4 at the time).

In other undercard action streaming on ESPN+:

Long Island-born welterweight sensation Jahi Tucker (6-0, 4 KOs), a 19-year-old power puncher, hopes to increase his knockout streak to three when he battles Tracey McGruder (6-1, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder. The explosive Tucker opened eyes in January with his second-round blitzing of the normally durable Akeem Black.



Rising Puerto Rican junior lightweight Henry “Moncho” Lebron (14-0, 9 KOs) steps up in class against Honduran veteran Josec Ruiz (23-5-3, 16 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Ruiz, a 10-year pro, has never been knocked out.



Kelvin Davis (3-0, 2 KOs), the eldest of the fighting Davis Brothers from Norfolk, Virginia, will face Phillip Carmouche (2-2) in a four-round junior welterweight bout. Davis made his Top Rank debut last December at Madison Square Garden and notched a second-round stoppage.



Lightweight prospect Armani Almestica (4-0, 4 KOs), a 20-year-old from Orlando, Florida, returns in a six-round lightweight battle against Eliseo Villalobos (2-2, 1 KO). As an amateur, Almestica was a force, winning gold at the 2017 USA Junior Olympics and 2018 USA Youth National Championships.

 

[NZA]

this could be make or break for berlanga. that early knock out reputation is looking like a burden more than an asset.

 

[Buddy]

Damn, this shyt snuck up on me quick. Definitely an event I wish I could've gone too. I'll be watching tho

 

[patscorpio]

Watch this reel by espnringside on Instagram

 

[patscorpio]

Edgar Berlanga-Steve Rolls, Undercard Weigh-In Results From Madison Square Garden

BY KEITH IDEC
Published Fri Mar 18, 2022, 02:14 PM EDT


Steve Rolls can still make middleweight if necessary.

The 5-foot-10 Canadian contender couldn’t pass up the opportunity that’ll await him Saturday night, though. Toronto’s Rolls is considered a big underdog against Edgar Berlanga, but he believes he is equipped and experienced enough to pull off an upset in a 10-round main event ESPN will broadcast from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York.

Rolls stepped on the New York State Athletic Commission’s scale at 167.8 pounds Friday afternoon. Brooklyn’s Berlanga officially came in at 167.4 pounds.

Caesars Sportsbook has established Berlanga as a 16-1 favorite versus Rolls.

The 37-year-old Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) feels he is more than ready for this type of bout because he fought Gennadiy Golovkin in June 2019 at Madison Square Garden. Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) knocked out Rolls in the fourth round, but their scheduled 12-round fight was competitive before Golovkin knocked Rolls to the canvas, face first, with a left hand that abruptly ended their fight.

The 24-year-old Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) will fight for the first time since he underwent surgery five months ago to repair a torn left biceps. Berlanga sustained that injury during the third round of his 10-round, unanimous-decision defeat of Marcelo Coceres on October 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Argentina’s Coceres (30-3-1, 16 KOs) scored a flash knockdown late in the ninth round. Berlanga got right to his feet, however, and won by the same score, 96-93, on all three cards.

ESPN will air three fights, the first two of which are listed below.

ESPN

10 p.m. ET; 7 p.m. PT

Xander Zayas (12-0, 9 KOs), San Juan, Puerto Rico, 152.6 pounds vs. Quincy LaVallais (12-2-1, 7 KOs), Metairie, Louisiana, 152.6 pounds, 8 rounds, junior middleweights.

John Bauza (16-0, 7 KOs), North Bergen, New Jersey, 140.2 pounds vs. Tony Luis (29-4, 10 KOs), Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, 140.8 pounds, 8 rounds, junior welterweights.

ESPN+

7:15 p.m. ET; 4:15 p.m. PT

Jahi Tucker (6-0, 6 KOs), Deer Park, New York, 147.8 pounds vs. Tracey McGruder (6-1, 4 KOs), Rochester, New York, 147.8 pounds, 6 rounds, welterweights.

Henry Lebron (14-0, 9 KOs), Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, 130.6 pounds vs. Josec Ruiz (23-5-3, 16 KOs), Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 130.4 pounds, 8 rounds, junior lightweights.

Bruce Carrington (2-0, 1 KO), Brooklyn, 129.8 pounds vs. Yeuri Andujar (5-4-1, 3 KOs), San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, 129.6 pounds, 6 rounds, junior lightweights.

Armani Almestica (4-0, 4 KOs), Orlando, Florida, 139.2 pounds vs. Luis Valentin Portalatin (3-3, 1 KO), Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, 140.2 pounds, 4 rounds, junior welterweights.

Kelvin Davis (3-0, 2 KOs), Norfolk, Virginia, 143.6 pounds vs. Phillip Carmouche (2-2, 0 KOs), Las Vegas, 144.8 pounds, 4 rounds, welterweights.

 

[KFBF]

Does rol@s have a chance?

 

[Electric Ladyland]

Top Rank with this late ass cards

 

[patscorpio]

Does rol@s have a chance?

He does

 

[patscorpio]

gotdamn that was a brutal knockout...homie was taking fades in the ropes

 

[patscorpio]

the hell is keyshawn davis wearing? is that a purse? yo these young nikkas be wearing some funny style shyt

 

[Conscious Pilot]

Well Bomac technically had another fighter win other than Bud

 

[patscorpio]

they went through the whole berlanga life story

 

[Recca Gatsby]

Damn that jacket above is clean as fukk