There aren’t a lot of boxers who wouldn’t want a shot at Canelo Alvarez, so much so that even a loss at his hands can launch his opponents into stardom. Just take Edgar Berlanga for example—despite losing a one-sided unanimous decision to ‘Cinnamon,’ the 28-year-old gained enormous popularity. Now, Hamzah Sheeraz seems to be on a similar path, even though a loss might not be what he wants.
The 26-year-old Brit is set to clash with Berlanga on July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens. Ahead of the fight, however, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh revealed a grand plan for Sheeraz. If he can get past Berlanga in the upcoming bout, Canelo, who is scheduled to face Terence Crawford on September 13th, will be his next stop. Since then, Sheeraz has made a heartfelt confession.
“Yeah, I think that’s the plan,” Sheeraz told Boxing News when pressed about the possibility of a fight against Canelo Alvarez. It’s worth noting that despite a decisive loss, even Edgar Berlanga is plotting a rematch against Canelo. However, if he can’t beat Sheeraz, who is making his super middleweight debut, then a Canelo rematch will remain a dream for the Brooklyn native.
Source: Instagram
Regardless, Sheeraz added that he hasn’t spoken about the possibility of fighting Canelo yet, but confessed it’s not out of the realm of possibility. “The words haven’t come out of my mouth. But why not shoot for the stars?” he told the reporter. Sheeraz’s intentions might be big, but he has a long way to go if he wants to have a shot at winning, as he struggled against Carlos Adames earlier this year, producing a split decision draw.
What’s even more interesting, though, Berlanga isn’t willing to let Sheeraz achieve his goal that easily.
Edgar Berlanga claims he is Canelo Alvarez to Hamzah Sheeraz
Ahead of their much-anticipated matchup, Berlanga has made it clear that he sees himself as the ultimate challenge for Sheeraz. After the pair agreed to bet $100,000 on their WBC title eliminator match, Berlanga issued a dire warning to his opponent, which he claims will ruin Alalshikh’s plans for the Brit.
September 14, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: SAUL CANELO ALVAREZ 62-2-2-39KOs of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico defeats EDGAR BERLANGA 22-1-17KOs of Brooklyn, NY by a unanimous decision 118-109, 117-110, 118-109 during PBC on Prime boxing at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Las Vegas USA – ZUMAo117 20240914_zsp_o117_082 Copyright: xMikaelxOnax
“I’m not taking you lightly,” Berlanga said during their heated face-off. “I know you’re coming because Turki got a plan for you. He told you, ‘You beat Berlanga, I’m giving you Canelo.’ You’re going straight to Canelo after this. I’m your Canelo right now.” However, Sheeraz wasn’t willing to just sit idly and see his dreams get swept away.
“I’ll stand in that ring with you,” he said. “I’m coming with everything. I’m leaving everything in that ring.”
GEA Chairman Turki Alalshikh just raised the stakes of the fight between Berlanga and Sheeraz, as the winner will get a shot at Canelo Alvarez. While the Canelo-Sheeraz fight would be more enticing since it hasn’t happened, Berlanga is clearly not willing to let it go down. Who do you think will get the ultimate prize?
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