Edgar Berlanga Returns From Six-Month Suspension: ‘Back Like I Never Left’
He last fought on June 11 against Roamer Angulo, which is when the incident happened.
Edgar Berlanga is back from his suspension.
Berlanga has served his six-month suspension, which was issued by the New York State Athletic Commission back in June following his attempt to bite challenger Alexis Angulo in the seventh round of their bout, which Berlanga won by unanimous decision.
“Suspension over, 2023 biggest year of my career. The f——’ Chosen One is back,” Berlanga said during a cardio session, according to Boxing Scene.
“Back like I never left.”
Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) has not fought since the bite attempt on June 11. That matchup aired live on ESPN from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on the eve of the 65th annual National Puerto Rican Day parade in midtown Manhattan.
It was the first time that Berlanga headlined a boxing event for that weekend.
In the seventh round, Berlanga tried to bite the left side of Angulo’s shoulder then neck. The referee did not penalize the Puerto Rican boxer. Angulo, however, was later warned to not hit Berlanga while clinching for a break.
Berlanga later apologized.
“I want to apologize for my actions and what I said yesterday about the Mike Tyson bite,” Berlanga tweeted Sunday, referencing the joke he made earlier about Tyson’s infamous bite of Evander Holyfield’s ear.
“I was in the moment and got a little ahead of myself. It doesn’t take away from the embarrassment that I have caused upon myself, my team, [Top Rank] and many others. I reacted poorly and take full responsibility. Moving forward, I am going to be more mindful and encouraging in my behavior.”
Still, the boxing community disapproved of the attempt and the lack of consequence.
Days later, the NYSAC told FIGHT SPORTS that Berlanga would be suspended for six months and fined $10,000. The $10,000 is the maximum fine for a first-time offense. It’s unclear how much Berlanga’s fight purse was.