Edgar Berlanga was among the notable names in attendance Saturday night during Danny Garcia's successful Brooklyn farewell in which he stopped Daniel Gonzalez four rounds into their main event.

Monday, October 20 marked 13 years to the day since Garcia's wide points win over Erik Morales, clinching the WBC world junior welterweight title as a five-year pro with big dreams.

He would later add the WBA and Ring titles to his ledger before moving up in weight, winning more world honours but with mixed success against other elite contemporaries.

Brooklyn-born Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) meanwhile, will mark a decade in the paid ranks next year.

He's made millions and has praised manager Keith Connolly for helping change his life, but a padded 16-fight knockout streak and two high-profile defeats in consecutive years have left him in no man's land.

When asked about how he's feeling now, three months after a fifth-round stoppage defeat by Hamzah Sheeraz, he insisted being in good spirits, telling KGTV: "I'm feeling good, that [last loss] doesn't dim my light, I'm still a superstar and the king of New York."

The proud Puerto Rico national teased fight news 'super soon' and appears excited to return with an eye on more big fights, naming Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, Plant's recent conqueror Jose Armando Resendiz and Jaime Munguia as four options.

"I've just got to stay focused, I'm locked in and ready to comeback - there's something big in the works," he continued.

Therein lies the problem. He took a moral victory in going the 12-round distance with Canelo Alvarez last September and finds himself in a position where none of the aforementioned quartet particularly need him.

Ranked No. 12 with the WBA and WBO, he'd be better served emulating Christian Mbilli and Diego Pacheco by facing steady challenges in matchups providing a platform to showcase improvements, rather than dominating overmatched opposition.

While undoubtedly wealthier than most in his age-group, Berlanga has previously discussed a desire to stay in the sport once he's retired, whether that be managing and promoting fighters or regular commentary work.

It's something a longtime contender in former two-time middleweight title challenger Gabriel Rosado, who featured at the weekend, has successfully done.

Rosado (28-17-1, 16 KOs) has boxed a who's who since turning pro in 2006 and the 39-year-old called Berlanga out after a first-round finish in August, having ended a two-year retirement.

The pair have sparred in Puerto Rico before and when asked about a cordial interaction between them ringside, Rosado said a 'fan-friendly' fight between New York and Philadelphia natives at Barclays Center has a nice ring to it.

First things first, Berlanga needs to gain favour and rehabilitate his image. Jose Benavidez Sr believes he'd be better served doing that by separating himself from the hangers-on that muddied his circle in recent years as his profile rose.

"Berlanga has all the talent in the world, young guy who had a lot of amateur fights, he's a really good fighter but the only thing is the distractions," he told The Ring.

"Sheeraz is super dedicated and was ready to take care of business, looked like a superstar. Fat Joe, all the other music artists and celebrities, hanging around those people doesn't help you.

"I have a lot of friends like that. It's nothing but parties, drinking and having fun. In boxing, you've got to stay humble, ready, you can't sleep late, hanging around when you've got big opportunities to show the world who you are. Distractions are hurting him, he's got to get away from them."

The 168-pound division remains in flux after Terence Crawford's legacy-enhancing win over Canelo last month, though Berlanga cannot afford another defeat among the elite if he's to avoid gatekeeper status.