Edgar Berlanga defends Ring III main event slot over Shakur Stevenson

When Saturday's Ring III event was announced a few months ago, there was some shock in Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz being the headliners over the WBC lightweight title fight between Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda. 

Even though Stevenson and Berlanga are friends, even the former questioned on Tuesday during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show why he and Zepeda weren't at the top of the bill. In his opening remarks at Thursday's press conference, Zepeda's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, said he felt Steveson vs. Zepeda should have top billing. 

“No disrespect to Sheeraz, it should be the main event," De La Hoya said. "I think Shakur Stevenson is a great fighter, hands down. I have a lot of respect for him. I think that Shakur is by far one of the greatest fighters today. 

“But he’s facing William Zepeda, who is a machine. He’s wanted this fight for quite a while now. This fight was supposed to happen several months ago. But the fact that William Zepeda is active, keeps fighting. He keeps winning. It’s not going to be an easy fight, which is why this fight with William Zepeda and Shakur Stevenson is probably a candidate for Fight of the Year already. That’s how good it’s going to be."

But when it was Berlanga's turn to speak at the dais, the native of New York, with Stevenson sitting right next to him, defended his place on the card and in the process gave a fight prediction.

“Oscar (is) saying that we shouldn't be (the) main event. I got my brother on the side of me right here (Stevenson to the left of Berlanga). We spoke. And I told him, it’s a double main event. New York City is my city. I was born and raised here. I’m a star here. So it was only right.

“I’m the king of the first-round KO. You know I’m the king. I’m going to touch him in the jaw. (Sheeraz) is a f—ing giraffe. I’m going to touch his jaw."

Watch the Ring III live from New York exclusively on DAZN PPV, Saturday, July 12. Buy the PPV now here.