In his first fight in fight in over a year, Edgar Berlanga (24-2, 19 KOs) survived a second-round knockdown to stop Steven Butler (38-6-1, 32 KOs) in the seventh round Sunday in New York, though the ending overshadowed the comeback.
The referee, Eric Dali, rushed in to stop the fight after Berlanga rocked Butler with a left hook and straight right, but instead of simply separating the fighters, Dali grabbed Butler with enough force that both crashed to the canvas together. As Butler laid tangled with the official, Berlanga stepped over them and faked a right hand as if to throw another punch, though he never landed it. The moment drew immediate backlash on social media, with the fight already waved off and Butler under the referee’s protection.
As for the fight itself, Berlanga controlled the opening round behind his jab and movement before Butler dropped him with a right hand late in the second. Berlanga recovered quickly and turned the fight in his favor from the third round on, knocking down Butler with combinations and gradually pulling away over the following rounds. A knockdown in the sixth left Butler unsteady, and Berlanga finished the job early in the seventh with a left hook and straight right that left Butler defenseless against the ropes.
Following his win, Berlanga called out numerous fighters including WBA 168-pound champ Jaime Munguia, Chris Eubank Jr., Jermall Charlo, and Caleb Plant.