Agreed, he was very disappointingmargaret thatcher wrote: ↑25 Jul 2026, 20:57did not look this wildly improved fighter tonight at allCaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑20 Jul 2026, 17:07 He looked better under Lee against Berlanga than he'd ever looked previously.
After this fight we'll see him in with a world class opponent and he'll probably be a strong favourite to win
I would love to say Zachenhuber overperformed beyond all expectation, but I think it was more a case of Sheeraz underperforming. Or worse yet, he performed at his level. Maybe this is the reason why Sheeraz is being carefully matched. Based on yesterday's dismal showing - fairly or unfairly - I'm not convinced he beats any other SMW in the top 10, perhaps not even in the top 20.CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑25 Jul 2026, 21:35Agreed, he was very disappointingmargaret thatcher wrote: ↑25 Jul 2026, 20:57did not look this wildly improved fighter tonight at allCaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑20 Jul 2026, 17:07 He looked better under Lee against Berlanga than he'd ever looked previously.
After this fight we'll see him in with a world class opponent and he'll probably be a strong favourite to win
If the German had had more pop on his punches he may well have beaten him
A fight against Adames, who remains a MW champ but has expressed a desire to move up to SMW, could be a good one and may settle the suspect draw from a few years ago. But ... Berlanga? Sure, he might be a "name" but that's all he is. Besides, Sheeraz already thrashed him once, and I don't see much changing in a rematch. It would appear that bout would be a low-risk money grab.Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑22 Aug 2026, 08:35 Hamzah Sheeraz was ridiculed for his last performance against an overmatched opponent.
But he has a good reason why he looked incredibly lethargic in a majority-decision win over Simon Zachenhuber on July 25 at Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sheeraz underwent surgery on his right hand after his victory against Germany’s Zachenhuber.
“I had picked up a little injury during the fight,” Sheeraz told Ariel Helwani during an interview that was posted recently to his YouTube channel. “I didn’t make it a thing after because I didn’t want to. Just getting on with it, now we’re recovering. I think it was in the second or third round.
“I hit him in a funny place, right at the top of his head, and felt it straight away. But from the positives, I got through 12 rounds with a little injury, back onto bigger and better things hopefully. We’re on the road to recovery as we speak now. I think I’ll be active end of November, early December.”
Sheeraz’s next bout could be a big one, albeit against an opponent he’s reluctant to fight. The Ring’s No. 9-ranked super middleweight was ordered by the WBO to defend his crown against former IBF/WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who recently decided to move up in weight. The two sides have until September 3 to reach an agreement, or a purse bid will be scheduled.
Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) recently criticized the WBO for placing Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) in such a position. The 33-year-old southpaw from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, was suspended for one year for failing a pre-fight drug test heading into his unification bout against WBA 160-pound belt holder Erislandy Lara in December 2025. Meldonium, a banned substance, was found in both his A and B samples submitted to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
The IBF opted to strip Alimkhanuly outright, while the WBO was more lenient, allowing him to remain champion while he served his ban. However, the sanctioning body stated that Alimkhanuly’s suspension ended on July 10, due to him “complying with specific conditions.”
Sheeraz is angered by the entire process. He doesn’t believe Alimkhanuly should be rewarded with a title shot after failing a drug test. He is now huddling up with his team to figure out his options.
While he analyzes his next move, he’s still optimistic for a big fight.
Although he has always remained professional and focused on who’s in front of him, he admits that sometimes it’s difficult staying locked in on someone who essentially has no chance at beating him. He was a 25-1 favorite to beat Zachenhuber (29-2, 18 KOs).
Sheeraz hopes his next fight will be a challenging one, similar to the split draw for which he settled against WBC middleweight champ Carlos Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs), or the fifth-round knockout he scored against Edgar Berlanga (24-2, 19 KOs).
“Adames and Berlanga are big names, fighters that get you up for it,” Sheeraz said. “Then you’re on the other end of things where you’re expected to go in there and just blast these guys out. Hopefully the next one is a big one, lessons learned and experience banked.”
Soooo was Sheeraz hoping Mario Jassmann or maybe Alexander Chupil would be tabbed as his next opponent?Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑22 Aug 2026, 17:05 Sheeraz upset over WBO making Alimkhanuly mandatory challenger
Hamzah Sheeraz doesn’t typically care who he fights, but he has a gigantic issue if Janibek Alimkhanuly is the one standing across the ring from him.
Hamzah Sheeraz doesn’t typically care who he fights, but he’d have a gigantic issue if Janibek Alimkhanuly ends up being the one standing across the ring from him.
Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) recently announced that he was dropping his WBO middleweight crown and moving up in weight. Shortly afterward, the WBO installed the Kazakhstani as the mandatory challenger to Sheeraz’s super middleweight title. The sanctioning body gave the sides until September 3 to reach an agreement, or purse bids will be called. Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) isn’t afraid of Alimkhanuly, but he doesn't believe he deserves to skip the line.
Heading into his 160-pound unification bout against Erislandy Lara in December, Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, a banned substance. He was suspended by the WBO for one year, but was allowed to hold onto his WBO belt.
The IBF opted to strip him of his title. Alimkhanuly's suspension was due to end in December. However, the WBO officially ended it on July 20, making him eligible to face Sheeraz. The WBO stated that Alimkhanuly had a spotless record and was a first-time offender. It also said that he complied with certain conditions. The newly minted 168-pound WBO champion wasn’t happy about the decision.
“I think it’s a joke,” Sheeraz said on the Ariel Helwani Show. “I think what the WBO has done here is disgraceful to the sport of boxing. What you’re essentially doing is rewarding someone who popped and also while he’s serving a ban. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time. Being popped is being popped. The sport we’re in, you’re risking your life.”
Sheeraz was hoping to land a big fight before the end of this year. The 27-year-old stopped Alem Begic in two rounds to win the vacant WBO crown on the May 23 Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven card in Egypt. In his first title defense, he looked listless as he won a majority decision against Simon Zachenhuber on July 25.
Alimkhanuly is a big name, having steamrolled his competition. However, he hasn’t been seen since stopping Anauel Ngamissengue in the fifth round in April of last year. At the moment, Sheeraz is still mulling over his options. “The fighter side of me, my ego is saying, ‘Listen, crack on with it. Just get in there and get the job done,’” Sheeraz said. “But me being a man who has morals and believes in being a clean athlete, it contradicts everything. It’s something that me and my team will have to sit down and see what we’re doing.”
Meanwhile, Alimkhanuly is annoyed by Sheeraz’s complaints. He wants his rival to zip his lip, throw his gloves on and step into the ring with him. “Why doesn’t he just say, ‘Let’s fight!’ This is a sport,” Alimkhanuly said on his X account. “If you call yourself a champion, then prove it. Step up, fight the best, and show everyone what you’re made of. Don’t sit on a podcast whining and crying about it. Get in the ring and fight!”