Boxing isn't always about who hits the hardest or who has the best skills.
All of that is important, of course, but winning fights, especially at the elite level, takes a little bit more.
During those championship rounds when both fighters are dog tired and breathing heavily, that’s when training camp comes into play.
You see, camp is used to iron out the kinks in one's game, perfect plans, and without question, push a fighter to the limit. Edgar Berlanga is currently in that mode.
His camps have taken place in various locations. From his hometown of New York to Florida and everywhere in between. Nowadays, however, he is enjoying the grind associated with Boulder, Colorado.
Hamzah Sheeraz is his next opponent. Tall, lanky, and incredibly dangerous,
Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) isn’t taking any chances.
With
Sheeraz promising to take his head off, the 28-year-old Berlanga is back in Colorado putting in work. He still has plenty of time before July 12 arrives.
Until then, conditioning will be his main focus while preparing for their 12-round fight on "Ring III,"
The Ring's pay-per-view card at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York."I'm getting into the best shape of my life," Berlanga said on his YouTube page titled after himself. "Imma be able to do 24 rounds if I have to."
England's Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs) may not be physically imposing, but the former middleweight title challenger is known for pushing the pace. His current trainer, Andy Lee, made conditioning his own calling card before hanging up the gloves in 2017.
From contending for world titles to training and putting fighters in position to do the same, Lee comes across as incredibly humble and soft-spoken. Berlanga, though, views his persona as fraudulent.
Although technically it'll be just he and Sheeraz in that ring, Berlanga wants to get in the type of shape where if he were asked to fight an additional person July 12, that wouldn't be much of a problem.
"Imma be able to [expletive] up Hamzah," Berlanga said, "and Andy Lee at the same time."