Fighters Edgar Berlanga and Xander Zayas reach unanimous decisions, but there’s still work to be done

Boxers Edgar Berlanga and Xander Zayas were both undefeated Saturday in New York, but decide their victory leave them on very different paths.

For Zayas, it was another step in his development. At 19, he seems to be improving with every game and his performance against Quincy LaVallais was no different.

On the other hand, Berlanga is trying to shake off the disappointment of October’s win over Marcelo Esteban Coceres. Instead, there are still doubts about how far Berlanga can go after his win over Steve Rolls.

Here’s what we learned from Saturday night’s battle:

Berlanga failed to impress

After building a reputation as a knockout artist, Berlanga’s recent slide continues with a second consecutive lethargic attempt. He clinched another unanimous decision win in 10 innings worth £168. Unlike his fight in October, Berlanga was never knocked out or in any trouble, but he still failed to impress – and this time, it happened on an even stage. even bigger when he earned the Top Rated on the ESPN card at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden.

Berlanga has a lot of problems. Rolls used her legs to close the box from the outside, indicating a moving target, and Berlanga did not effectively cut the encirclement. Instead, he went a step slower as he followed Rolls.

When Berlanga is in a position to attack, he often does so without the confidence that has led him to 16 first round KOs in his first 16 games. It was Berlanga’s version of the winged haymakers with no regard for their own safety.

In his first bout after being knocked out and in surgery to repair a torn bicep, Berlanga seemed hesitant to unleash his patented power shots.

He never risked abandonment and never threatened to fire Rolls. A boxer that is hyped up as a KO machine now seems like anything but.

Berlanga is only 24 years old and still intact. He’s only hit 44 rounds at pro, and still has time to improve and refine his tools. But the point is that he’s already a draw, and fighting in the main event means the opposite is better.

Berlanga is certainly not ready for anyone in the top 10 of the league, and even one janitor could be too many. Berlanga will likely again consider someone at Coceres or Rolls level, but he will soon need a knockout to build the confidence back and also the hype that once surrounded him.

Zayas shines, but he’s still a work in progress

Xander Zayas is clearly a talented prospect, and it’s not just because of his massive physics tools. Zayas fights with patience and discipline based on his age (19) and inexperience (13 pro games).

Zayas (13-0, 10 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, carefully picked and placed his shots in a decisive win over Quincy LaVallais. When hurting LaVallais in round 2, Zayas attacks strongly but not recklessly. He ensures coordination in some of the body shots, and most importantly, shows more focus on head movement.

For the first time in his career, Zayas was scheduled to play eight rounds and proved he had enough stamina to last the distance. What else does he prove? Not really much. Against such a strong opponent (LaVallais was about to lose decisively to a prospect in Nicaragua), there weren’t many opportunities for Zayas to show off his other skills.

It was a one-way beat from the opening bell, and LaVallais was happy to take the punishment and survive. He rarely lets go, instead he chooses to lie on the rope and try to make incoming shots.

Zayas is still a work in progress, but he is still improving. The best way for Zayas to get closer to realizing his potential is to aggressively ramp up his competition on his next outing.