Former super middleweight title challenger Edgar Berlanga of Puerto Rico appears ready to make his return to the ring, with rumors of a March 8 fight on his home soil spreading rapidly online. The 22-1 boxer is coming off a unanimous decision loss to unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, where the 27-year-old reportedly pocketed $12.5 million. 

According to a report from Boxing Scene, ‘The Chosen One’ is expected to square off against an unknown opponent outside of the top 15 rankings. However, it’s worth mentioning that the likes of Caleb Plant, Diego Pacheco, and Jaime Munguia have also been linked to a potential fight with Berlanga in 2025 since his defeat.

Regardless, during a recent interview with YSM Sports Media, another boxer threw his name into the hat, hoping to compete against the Puerto Rican. Who is that? Yorkville, Illinois’ Trevor McCumby is the one asking for a fight. The 32-year-old is coming off a 9th-round knockout loss to Caleb Plant in September last year. 

And speaking to the reporter recently, he expressed disappointment about Berlanga’s last outing against Canelo. “He didn’t go out on his shield. He didn’t try to knock him out,” McCumby said. “I think that’s something that I bring to the table. I go out to fight and I go out to win. I don’t go out to just survive and make it 12 rounds.” 

However, McCumby seems to sympathize with Berlanga, considering ‘The Chosen One’ was up against the best boxer in the current era. “But he was in a different position than me. He’s fighting Canelo,” McCumby added, noting that though Berlanga is a good fighter, he failed to impress McCumby. “I hope we can share the ring together someday.”

Many fans were disappointed with a lack of pushback from Berlanga during the fight, having promised toe-to-toe action in the buildup. McCumby seems to share that feeling about the fight. “I think a lot of people were disappointed in that. I think you see that with a lot of guys that get in there with Canelo. Maybe it’s just different when you get in there…,” McCumby explained. 

Still, he claimed that if he were in Berlanga’s shoes during the fight, “I’d go out on my shield. I’d try to knock him out. I’d have tried to win.” The Yorkville, Illinois native even roped in Jermell Charlo to explain away Berlanga’s situation, stating, “He did the same thing with Canelo and talked all that and then just didn’t really do nothing.”

This begs the question, what could Trevor McCumby do against Berlanga, given the opportunity? 

Trevor McCumby promises to knock out Edgar Berlanga

During the same interview, the reporter asked McCumby if, had he put Berlanga in the same position as Canelo when he dropped Berlanga during their fight, he could have finished the bout with a knockout. “Whenever I smell that blood, I really go for it,” McCumby said. McCumby considers himself a good finisher, so he predicted the round he would finish the fight in. 

“I think I would maybe around seven or eight… If I crack him early… it could be lights out,” McCumby added. “But I think it’s a really interesting fight. It’d be a really good fight.” Despite his confidence in himself, it’s unlikely that he will get to fight Berlanga next, as the Puerto Rican native has much more lucrative fight offers on the table. 

That said, it appears Edgar Berlanga has found himself a challenger since his loss to Canelo Alvarez last year. Whether Berlanga takes up Trevor McCumby on his challenge is yet to be seen. Do you think McCumby could defeat Berlanga?