“That’s a knockout!” Every boxing fan loves this phrase. Few moments in combat sports can rival the thrill of watching a boxer knock his opponent out cold with a decisive blow. You rarely forget the moment. It is the ultimate spectacle of a sport that is a reflection of one individual’s power over another. That is why people love knockout artists.

In the history of this celebrated sport, many knockout artists have swayed the crowd with their punches. For most fans, Mike Tyson stands out as the quintessential powerhouse, considered one of the most powerful punchers of all time. After all, the Brooklyn native has racked up 44 knockouts out of his 50 wins and no amount of Jake Paul fight can ruin that. However, on Wednesday, Edgar Berlanga, fresh from his first-round knockout victory, challenged that iconic throne.

Edgar Berlanga in desperate need of the right figures

Yesterday, The Chosen One took to his Instagram to post a highlight clip from his latest victory over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz on March 15. It was Berlanga’s first fight since falling to Canelo Alvarez last year. As expected, the Puerto Rican got another first-round knockout victory. While the clip was a nice highlight package, it was the caption that stirred the boxing world. He wrote, “I HAVE MORE 1st Round Knockouts THEN MIKE TYSON! I AM THE HARDEST PUNCHER IN BOXING HISTORY 🥊.”

Edgar Berlanga indeed has a nice KO record with 18 KOs out of his 23 victories. However, claiming to have more first-round KOs than the Baddest Man On The Planet—that is where he might have made a mistake.

The 23-1 fighter has recorded 17 first-round KOs to his name. In fact, his first 16 fights were all first-round KO victories. However, Mike Tyson has recorded a whopping 23 first-round knockout victories in his professional career. Furthermore, beyond the numbers, victories against the likes of Michael Spinks, Carl Williams, and Marvis Frazier in less than 3-minutes puts him in a league of his own, that too in the era of 1990s heavyweights.

Edgar Berlanga’s knockout tally is remarkable, yet the caliber of his opponents leaves a lot to be desired and pales in comparison to the giants that Tyson faced. So, while The Chosen One’s power is undeniable, declaring himself the hardest puncher in boxing history might be a stretch.

It is a debate that will go on forever. However, at this time we can safely say that Mike Tyson still holds the crown. On the other hand, Berlanga is still looking for a statement victory in his career that will shed all doubts regarding his capabilities. And it looks like he has his eyes set on an opponent.

A rematch for ages

After his victory against Gonzalez-Ortiz, fans expected Edgar Belranga to choose Caleb Plant as his next fight. After all, the duo has been involved in a vicious feud for almost a year now and this is the perfect opportunity to settle that.

While Berlanga acknowledges Sweethand’s challenge and would love to fight, there is a fight that he desires more than anything. A rematch against Canelo Alvarez to avenge his first and only career loss. In the post-match interview, Chris Mannix asked Berlanga about his future plans. With a sheepish smile, Berlanga revealed his hit list without missing a beat: “You know who I want. You know my hit list,” he declared.

The list included the names of Jaime Munguia, Jermall Charlo, and Caleb Plant. However, as the emotions took over, he revealed the final name on his list: the unified super middleweight champion. He stated, “Amos a hacer la revancha, vamos a hacer la revancha en el 2026. Vamos arriba, tú sabes que Puerto Rico y México es el mejor, lo hice,” which roughly translates to, “We’re going to do the rematch; we’re going to do the rematch in 2026. Let’s go! You know that Puerto Rico and Mexico are the best. I did it.”

While the 27-year-old is desperate for this fight, the possibility of the fight is rather slim. Cinnamon already has his two fights sorted for 2025 and His Excellency is pushing for two dream fights in 2026, and none of them involves Edgar Berlanga. So, at this moment, a wise choice for Berlanga would be to take on the Plant fight. Furthermore, a victory against a fighter like Caleb Plant would significantly bolster Berlanga’s argument as the hardest puncher.

Do you think Edgar Berlanga is the harder puncher in comparison to Mike Tyson? Let us know your thoughts down below.