Promoter Eddie Hearn says he doesn’t know where Hamzah Sheeraz can go if he gets knocked out by super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga next month in their headliner on July 12th at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Sheeraz: UK Fan Appeal

Hearn states that Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs) would be back at the British domestic scene if he loses to Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs). Berlanga-Sheeraz are two fighters in the Canelo Alvarez sweepstakes race for 2026.

Hearn says the winner of the fight has a chance of fighting the Mexican superstar next year. Sheeraz hasn’t fought Canelo yet, and he would be the better choice if he could somehow get through this fight with Edgar with a victory.

Sheeraz would bring in the UK fans, and it would create a lot of interest in a clash against Alvarez. Berlanga already had his chance against Canelo and foiled it by playing it safe and just trying to survive. U.S boxing fans don’t want to see a rematch between them. Once in a lifetime was enough.

“You’re coming up to 168. If you get knocked out at 168, where on Earth do you go?” said Eddie Hearn to Ring Magazine about what Hamzah Sheeraz is up against in his fight against Edgar Berlanga on July 12th. “You hope for a world title. You’ve lost at the world level. You’re kind of back to the domestic scene.”

Sheeraz’s last fight against Carlos Adames already showed that he’s not world-class. He would still be above domestic level in the UK, but not world-class. Hamzah’s performances against Adames and Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams showed that he’s a level below top-tier.

Canelo Alvarez Sweepstakes 2026

“His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] is looking for guys in 2026 for the Canelo matchups, and Hamzah Sheeraz is very marketable. It’s a great story. He’s been a big part of the Riyadh Season,” said Hearn. “This has been a big moment for Hamzah Sheeraz. A new trainer in Andy Lee, who, in my opinion, is one of the best trainers in the world. If they get this game plan right, they can beat Edgar Berlanga. But it’s going to be a very dangerous fight.”

It would look bad for either of these two fighters to get a fight against Canelo in 2026. Berlanga already lost to him in a one-sided decision in 2024. Even if Hamzah is victorious against Edgar on July 12th, he wouldn’t deserve a fight against Alvarez.

Berlanga is more of a prospect at this stage of his career than a true contender. Look at his best wins and judge for yourself:

– Jason Quigley
– Padraig McCrory
– Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz: 36
– Roamer Alexis Angulo: 41
– Steve Rolls: 40
– Marcelo Coceres: 34
– Demond Nicholson

Berlanga is more of a marketing project than a real fighter. He’s been created by his promoters and is not truly world-class. A 23-12 record as an amateur, and matched against 16 tomato cans at the start of his career by Top Rank, trying to turn him into an East Coast star the easy way. If Sheeraz beats Berlanga, it means nothing. He should then start fighting quality contenders if he wants to get a fight against Canelo.

“When Edgar Berlanga truly believes in himself and fancies the job, he’s dangerous. I think in his head, he thinks he’s going to look great against Hamzah Sheeraz, and knock him out,” said Hearn.

Sheeraz’s 168 Debut Challenges

Berlanga is getting the fight against Sheeraz at the right time, with him making his debut at 168. Sheeraz’s last performance was atrocious against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames last February in Riyadh, and he was lucky to get a draw. Most boxing fans had Adames winning.

There are better fighters than Sheeraz at 168, but whoever did the election for this event gave Berlanga a lucky break. They could have put him in with someone good, and he’d be heading for another loss.