British boxer in line for ‘Canelo’ title showdown after commanding KO

Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1) now has mandatory-challenger status in the super-middleweight division, after a dominant fifth-round knockout of Edgar Berlanga (23-2) at New York City’s Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Berlanga unable to handle supreme Sheeraz

The British fighter threw 87 power punches, landing just 38 - but that was more than enough to silence Berlanga, who had spent the entire week mocking him in the lead-up to the bout.

Berlanga had boldly predicted a first-round knockout, but that promise fell flat as he failed to land anything meaningful in the opening frame. Sheeraz, a former Commonwealth Boxing Council champion, found a gap in the American’s defense and exploited it with a thunderous uppercut.

From the fourth round on, Sheeraz took full control. He dropped Berlanga twice in that round alone, with the bell and the referee sparing the New Yorker from an early stoppage.

But the end came swiftly in the fifth, when Berlanga hit the canvas for a third time, forcing the referee to wave it off and award Sheeraz the emphatic victory.

Berlanga’s trash talk in the buildup proved hollow, as he was thoroughly outclassed in the ring. With this loss, the two most high-profile fights of his career - against Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez and now Sheeraz - have both ended in defeat.

‘Canelo’ clash now on the horizon for Sheeraz

Prior to the fight, the World Boxing Council announced that the winner would become the mandatory challenger for undisputed champion Álvarez’s super-middleweight crown. That opportunity now belongs to Sheeraz, who is in line for a golden chance to etch his name into boxing history.

However, the landscape could shift in September if Canelo fails to get past Terence Crawford in their highly anticipated Las Vegas showdown.

For Sheeraz, a clash with Álvarez would be the pinnacle of his career to date. And he made his intentions clear after the fight: if he gets the chance, he’s not looking to win on points - he’s coming for the knockout.

“I will stand in the middle with him and have it out”

“'Canelo’ has always been a boxing hero of mine, so even for my name to be mentioned in the same sentence as his - that’s a great achievement,” the 26-year-old said.

“But listen, if I do get the opportunity to fight him, it won’t be one of those where I try to nick it on points. I will stand in the middle with him and have it out. Whoever lands first, I suppose they got knocked out, didn’t they?”

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