“It was a tough loss — one that felt surreal in many ways.” Taking full accountability, Edgar Berlanga released a statement. It followed the brutal drubbing at the hands of the lanky Briton Hamzah Sheeraz three days ago. Still, even if he accepted full responsibility, Berlanga, the self-styled ‘King of New York,’ could barely escape the barrage of taunts and jibes scores of fans hurled. To set the record straight, he shares some of the blame.

The buildup to Ring III, which featured the Edgar Berlanga and Shakur Stevenson double headliner, saw him indulge in incessant trash talk. Never losing an opportunity, he promised to knock out the visiting fighter. But in the end, Berlanga was forced to eat his words. Sheeraz, who climbed up a division for the meetup, delivered a rock-solid performance, knocking down the Nuyorican twice in the fourth round before ending the fight in the fifth. Thankfully, Berlanga seems to be receiving support from some unexpected corners. Speaking out, Jake Paul had a message for everyone who has been mocking a fallen warrior.

“Berlanga lost. So what?” asked Paul on X. But that doesn’t automatically mean it’s catastrophic, he asserted. “Boxing needs to stop indicting boxers of their end because of a loss,” added the YouTuber-turned-boxer who defeated former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last month.

Perhaps Jake Paul took a cue from Sir Winston Churchill’s immortal words, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” He stated, “It’s only a loss if you don’t learn.” Along with rising star Emiliano Vargas, many users agreed with the Ohioan.

Those hell-bent on slamming Edgar Berlanga might do well to learn from the concluding words of his statement. “This journey is far from over. We’ll take the time to reflect, recalibrate, and return with clarity, hunger, and focus. We will be back soon!”

But putting aside Berlanga’s pre-fight antics and his post-fight somber realization, the fact remains: he needs to get his act together. Go back to the drawing board before it’s too late.

Edgar Berlanga: Missed chances and the super middleweight layout

Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis shared his two cents on Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz. Boots Ennis’ father felt Berlanga could have used his jabs more effectively to keep Hamzah Sheeraz, who boasts a greater reach, at bay. “Balanga should start off using that jab. He gets on the side and starts ripping up the body real quick. He was waiting. Berlanga was waiting too long for me. He should have had that pressure on him real quick from the start,” said the well-known trainer.

As far as 168 pounds is concerned, Canelo Alvarez still rules the roost. But the division brims with some superb talents like Diego Pacheco, Christian Mbilli, Caleb Plant, Jose Resendiz, and many more. So if he intends to make a compelling argument against a top-ranked contender, the Brooklyn-born fighter who turned 28 two months ago will have to take his game to the next level.

Perhaps it’s time to put the past behind and look forward. Churchill made it amply clear that while the failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. And now, perhaps more than ever, Berlanga has to study his style and form and upgrade if he wants to stay relevant in the 168-pound roster.

Where do you think Edgar Berlanga failed to catch up with Sheeraz?