Edgar Berlanga got back on track with a dramatic victory, rising from the canvas to stop Steven Butler in the seventh round of a pulse‑pounding Zuffa Boxing super‑middleweight bout held at Madison Square Garden. Exactly one year after suffering a knockout loss to Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz, Berlanga found himself on the brink of another defeat when Butler sent him to the floor in the final seconds of the second round. The knockdown ignited a fire beneath the Mexican‑American fighter, and he responded by unleashing a relentless barrage of heavy punches that forced Butler to scramble for survival. In a surprising twist, Butler attempted an MMA‑style takedown, hoping to disrupt Berlanga’s rhythm.
The maneuver, however, proved ineffective, and the most productive moment of the round came when Butler landed two solid blows of his own just as the bell rang to close the third round. The fight continued to swing back and forth.
Berlanga’s punches were consistently cleaner and more powerful, and he capped off the sixth round with a flurry of right hands that eventually sent Butler crashing to the canvas. Butler managed to answer with a big right at the start of the seventh round, showing a brief flash of resilience, but Berlanga answered with a crushing combination that left the referee no choice but to halt the contest.
With this win, Berlanga notched his 24th professional triumph and extended his perfect record at Madison Square Garden to six wins without a loss. The victory also positions him to chase the top names in the super‑middleweight division, including a potential rematch with Sheeraz to avenge his earlier setback. After the bout, Berlanga spoke confidently about his performance: “It proves I’m a real champion and I’m not scared to face anyone. I fought a dangerous opponent, a heavy‑handed knockout artist, to show that I’m back and I belong at the top.” He added, “We want to fight Hamzah Sheeraz, Jaime Munguía, Chris Eubank, Jermell Charlo, Caleb Plant—anyone who can prove we belong with the elite.” The co‑main event featured former super‑lightweight world champion Richardson Hitchins, who made a statement in his welterweight debut by outclassing Ricardo ‘Magic Man’ Salas.
Hitchins leveraged his speed, reach, and pinpoint jab to dominate the Mexican fighter throughout the fight, delivering snap‑back punches that left Salas unable to mount any meaningful offense. The judges reflected the one‑sided nature of the contest with three identical 100‑90 scorecards in favor of Hitchins. Buoyed by his convincing performance, Hitchins immediately set his sights on the division’s marquee names. “I want to fight the best in boxing,” he declared.
“Give me Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia. They say I’m not ready—let’s see. I’m 21‑0, no draws, no blemishes.
Come test me if you’re brave enough.” Both fighters used the New York stage to send a clear message to promoters and fans alike: they are ready to step up, take on the biggest challenges, and cement their places among the sport’s elite. The night’s action underscored the depth of talent in the current boxing landscape and set the stage for a series of high‑stakes match‑ups that could reshape the super‑middleweight and welterweight divisions in the months ahead. As the boxing calendar for 2026 fills out, fans can expect more marquee events, streaming options, and podcasts like Toe2Toe delivering insider analysis.
For now, Berlanga’s resurgence and Hitchins’ confident debut serve as a reminder that the sport’s future is being written by fighters who are unafraid to test themselves against the very best.