Edgar Berlanga is aiming for a fresh start after a rollercoaster career that saw his promising undefeated streak come to an end at the hands of Canelo Alvarez. Following the September 2024 loss at the hands of the super middleweight king, Berlanga has been on a mission to find worthy opponents to help him return to his winning ways. After failing to capture the unified super middleweight titles, the Chosen One is now determined to come back stronger and reclaim his position among the division’s elite.
Though his last performance left a lot to be desired, the 27-year-old still seems poised to become the future of the division. It is for this reason that Berlanga has been hunting for new top opponents that could help him prove just that. And now, it appears he’s found a worthy challenger in a young undefeated prospect from across the pond.
Edgar Berlanga calls out the scariest rising middleweight prospect
A post shared by Berlanga not too long ago, had the Puerto Rican boldly name a bunch of fighters he’s looking to fight next. It soon got a response from one of the names on the list—Hamzah Sheeraz. Supreme Boxing shared a post on Instagram that showed the conversation between the two in X. Replying to the Brooklyn-born super middleweight, the undefeated middleweight from the UK wrote back, “I got business to handle in a few weeks that’s a priority. Once I win IA we can talk .” It seems once the reply arrived, it was all Berlanga needed.
“Let’s do it champ we both have fights coming up let’s handle business and we’ll talk after. @DAZNBoxing @Turki_alalshikh,” replied Edgar Berlanga, confirming the challenge while tagging the Riyadh Season figurehead His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to make the fight happen.
For those who may not know, the business Sheeraz was referring to is his upcoming battle with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames on February 22, on the undercard of the highly anticipated Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The same goes for Edgar Berlanga. Berlanga is looking to make his comeback in March against an undecided opponent in Puerto Rico. If all goes well, the 27-year-old will have two fights lined up one after another with the second one on a possible Riyadh Season card.
As for what makes Hamzah Sheeraz so scary, you need only look at his record. Boasting an unblemished record of 21-0, with 17 knockouts, his second-round knockout victory against Tyler Denny in September last year earned him several titles, including the Commonwealth Boxing Council Media title, the EBU European Middleweight title, and the WBC silver middleweight title. With a title fight already lined up, the 25-year-old is not really someone to mess with.
However, there’s a catch: Sheeraz and Edgar Berlanga compete in different weight divisions. The Puerto Rican boxer is currently a super middleweight, while the British-Pakistani professional boxer fights in the middleweight division. This presents a challenge for both fighters, as they may need to wait for Sheeraz’s fight with Adames to conclude before any potential showdown can take place. And if he wins against Adames, it only complicates the matter further. Now, a little about the hit list that Edgar Berlanaga put out, who else is on it?
Berlanga is eyeing the top names in boxing
Edgar Berlanga’s aspirations are bigger than ever. Recently, the former super middleweight contender shared a six-man hit list, which included some of the biggest names in boxing: Canelo Alvarez (for a rematch), Jaime Munguia, Jermall Charlo, Caleb Plant, Hamzah Sheeraz, and Diego Pacheco. A few days ago he took to X and wrote, “After my March 8th fight, these are the next 6 fights that I want in no particular order. LINE’EM UP FOR ME.”
Despite Berlanga’s growing confidence, some fans are not as convinced that he’s ready for such high-level competition, especially after his defeat to Canelo. Critics argue that Berlanga may need to fine-tune his skills before stepping into the ring with top-ranked fighters. Nevertheless, Berlanga still remains undeterred. Whether he’s truly ready for the challenge will depend on how he performs in his next bout.
Edgar Berlanga’s journey back to the top of the super middleweight division is well underway. But with Sheeraz still focused on his upcoming bout, and critics questioning Berlanga’s readiness for elite competition, the road to redemption won’t be easy. March will be a pivotal month for Berlanga as he looks to regain his winning form and prove he’s back for good. So what do you think of the potential fight between Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz? Do share your thoughts below.
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