“The left hand that dropped Edgar had a wrap that looked tampered with, yellow-stained, hard, and suspicious.” Genesis Calderon’s Instagram post screamed. Her grievance follows her husband, Edgar Berlanga‘s, humiliating knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz last weekend. She claimed post-fight inspection was restricted to Sheeraz’s right-hand wrap only. “But it was the left hand that dropped my husband. Why wasn’t that wrap taken off immediately?” she asked, demanding an investigation.
It’s been two days since the post appeared, and it has already stirred a hornet’s nest. So Hamzah Sheeraz’s team decided it was time to address the matter before it snowballed into a major scandal. Social media outlets are abuzz with a detailed response from Andy Lee. The trainer, who is second cousin to former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, took over the reins of the rangy fighter’s training after the Carlos Adames debacle. The highly respected trainer who changed the fortunes of heavyweight Joseph Parker in recent years seemingly responded after Jeremy Fiorentino, a user on Instagram, raised a few questions.
“Hamzah Sheeraz TEAM RESPONDS to my SUSPICIOUS HANDWRAPS video, but NO ONE CAN ANSWER THE ONE QUESTION I AM ASKING FROM DAY 1… Have you ever seen a pro boxer leave the ring with just one hand wrap on and go all the way to the locker room?” the former amateur boxer’s Instagram post read. The way Sheeraz demolished Berlanga into total submission unleashed a string of doubts. Something is amiss with Sheeraz’s hand. How else could he hurt someone as strong as Berlanga?
Slamming the allegations as ‘incorrect,’ Andy Lee responded to the clip in the comments. “I wrapped his hands.” Referring to the left-hand wrap, he claimed, “The commission wouldn’t allow me to cut the second wrap off after the fight,” before adding both the commission and Berlanga’s trainer were present when he wrapped Sheeraz’s hands.
“Both the commission and Berlanga’s coach watched me wrap Hamzah’s hands and inspected all gauze and tape used,” said Lee. But quite a few voices support the young Briton who has shocked the boxing world with the win.
Get your facts straight!
Calling the whole affair ‘ridiculous,’ Eddie Hearn, who was associated with Edgar Berlanga till recently, told iFL TV, “There’s an inspector who does not leave your site. When the hands are wrapped, there’s a member of the other team there, right? The gauze is on, and the tape is on. What do you think? All of a sudden, they disappear to the toilets and play with the hand wraps.”
Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois – IBF Heavyweight Title Fight – Wembley Stadium Hamzah Sheeraz celebrates victory against Tyler Denny not pictured following the EBU European Middle weight bout at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday September 21, 2024. Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRL Copyright: xBradleyxCollyerx 77542704
But Frank Warren, Hamzah Sheeraz’s promoter, was unsparing. Suggesting Team Berlanga take up the matter with the New York State Athletic Commission if they feel they have been wronged, the veteran promoter revealed a member of their team (likely Keith Connolly, the manager) was present in the dressing room during the hand-wrapping process.
He emphasized that a representative from the opposing team and someone from the athletic commission were both present during the hand-wrapping. “They sign the reps, and they stay with him the whole time. They don’t then leave. They’re with him the whole time. And then after that they’ll come back when they’re ready to glove up one of his team, which they did, and watch him put the gloves on and watch him take the gloves up, and that’s it.”
So in a nutshell, they followed the rule book. To some fans, the whole controversy rekindled the memories of the Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto fiasco. Over to Team Berlanga now.
What’s your take on the whole hand-wrap controversy?
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