Berlanga is eyeing Scull's IBF belt in 2025

Edgar Berlanga says he wants to get his hands on the 'bad IBF title' in 2025. and is targeting super middleweight champion William Scull this year.

Canelo Pipe Dream

Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) has already laid out his plans to quickly take the IBF title from Scull and use the belt as bait to get a rematch against unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

Berlanga is strong $10 million salary as this fight was nice, especially since he didn't have to take any risky fights to earn a shot at the title. He should be happy with that money because he won't get a second chance to fight Canelo regardless of whether he grabs the IBF belt.

If Berlanga were to win that belt, he would have to defend it immediately against a top contender like Osley Iglesias, and he would lose it immediately.

It's doubtful the Mexican superstar would be interested in fighting Berlanga again so soon, if at all. He would receive criticism for fighting a weak, undeserving Brooklyn, New York a second time.

Rehydration block

Even if Berlanga could fight for the IBF title, the 10lb rehydration rule would reduce his chances of winning the belt. After rehydrating to 190, he couldn't hold his weight down to 178 for the secondary weigh-in on fight day. Berlanga was reportedly rehydrated to 193 for his fight against Canelo. At that size, he should compete in the light heavyweight division.

Last September, the 27-year-old Berlanga lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Canelo at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The results

118-109
118-109
117-110

“I want that IBF title SO BAD!!!! World Champion 2025!! I'm going to screw myself to sleep the skull 🇵🇷🇵🇷,” said Edgar Berlanga on X about his desire to challenge IBF super middleweight champion William Scull for his belt.

Line cutter

Boxing fans on social media are not rooting for Berlanga to fight for the world title against IBF champion School. That would send the wrong message to fans that Berlanga could leapfrog top contenders to get another shot at the world title without winning it.

What Berlanga has to deal with these challengers to win a title fight this time around instead of having it handed to him on a silver platter:

Caleb Plant
Osley Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
Christian Mbili
Bektemir Melikuziev
Jaime Munguia

Berlanga is ranked #4 by the WBA, #4 by the WBO and #6 by the WBC. Given that he is not ranked in the top 15 by the International Boxing Federation, he is better off fighting for one of the other three belts. However, for Berlanga to put himself in the position of a must for the WBA, WBC and WBO belts, he will need to fight Plant, Iglesias, Mbili or Pacheco.

In other words, fighters who would probably beat him easily. But if Berlanga goes after the vulnerable Scull's IBF belt, he will have the keys to a well-paid rematch against Canelo. It would be a smart move on Berlanga's part, but it's doubtful he'll get the second Canelo fight. The backlash from fans would be hard on the Mexican star, who would not want to deal with it.