He was a handful as a kid, always full of energy, always outside. Growing up in Bushwick, life wasn’t easy for Edgar Berlanga Jr. He knew there was a fighter in him. But it was his father, Edgar Berlanga Sr., who saw this potential clearly and decided to do something about it. Before going to prison, he turned to his close friend, Benny Roman, a local boxing trainer, and asked him to teach his son the discipline of boxing.

More than just training, Roman’s role was to keep Berlanga Jr. grounded, guiding him through a time when his father wouldn’t be around. But what exactly happened? Why did he have to put Roman in charge?

All we know about Edgar Berlanga Sr.’s time in jail

Berlanga Sr. didn’t witness his son’s formative years, as he served seven and a half years behind bars for allegedly shooting two people. Berlanga Jr. was only two days old when the unfortunate incident happened. When he came back, he wanted to steer his son’s life in a better direction and helped him pick up a pair of boxing gloves. But that didn’t last long. The Berlanga family patriarch again found himself behind bars when Berlanga Jr. was 10. It was this time when his friend Roman came to his aid. ‘The Chosen One’ told Boxing News, “My dad asked him, ‘Please, I’m going away. Please keep Edgar in the gym.’ Benny kept that promise. He picked me up every day and just kept me there. And it was working … to a certain extent.”

Four years passed by, and by the time Berlanga Sr. returned, his son had lost his touch with boxing. While he still sparred, there was a consistency issue. In addition, he had locked in basketball as his next career path. Berlanga Sr. insisted and urged him to stick with boxing, but that didn’t happen until he returned four years later.

When Berlanga Jr. enthusiastically disclosed to his father his dream of hitting the basketball court, he didn’t like it. Instead, he persuaded him to continue with boxing. Berlanga Jr., now 27, recalled, “‘You’re gonna be a fighter instead. You’re good at it. I’m here, I’m back home. This is how it’s gonna be.’ Then he said to me, ‘You’re the LeBron James, you’re the Michael Jordan, you’re the Kobe Bryant of boxing.’”

Since then, the super middleweight boxer has had his father in his corner, keeping a close eye on him to ensure he stays safe and remains committed to boxing. And it worked wonders, as he took the professional boxing world by storm.

What does Edgar Berlanga Sr. do now? More about Edgar Berlanga’s parents

Berlanga Sr. is a constant presence in his son’s corner and his team. He helps him in making career decisions and it also stays true outside the boxing world. Berlanga Jr. is diversifying his revenue sources as he continues to add different portfolios, such as real estate. What’s more? The two are focusing on building a tow truck business, too.

Berlanga Jr. carries Puerto Rican heritage as he was born in the large Nuyorican community of Brooklyn. However, much information is not available about his mother, but she raised him and protected him in uncertain times. He has been vocal about the support his mother gave him, even penning a heartfelt message for her on Mother’s Day some years back.

In an interview with Boxing Social, he admitted, “There’s a lot of stuff that me and my family went through; you know, it wasn’t easy for us. It was a long journey for us, man. My mother did an amazing job with raising me.” Undoubtedly, Berlanga Jr.’s parents played a crucial role in his upbringing and helped him navigate through life and into boxing stardom.