Everything is in play for new look Sheeraz at 168 as he rolls the dice in New York

Mickey Duff once said, “If you want loyalty, buy a dog.”

I thought about the late, great, irascible Duff and this iconic phrase when I heard the news that Hamzah Sheeraz had parted ways with California-based trainer Ricky Funez.

Sheeraz was underwhelming on his biggest night against Carlos Adames back in February, somehow salvaging a split draw in a WBC middleweight title fight that many had him losing.

He goes again this week in a super-middleweight fight with Edgar Berlanga in New York in a bout between two outstanding fighters who want all the smoke.  

 

Sheeraz revealed after the Adames fight that he had broken his left hand early in the bout, and this is obvious mitigation for a fighter who had looked incredibly explosive before that night in Riyadh on the undercard for the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch.

The Berkshire banger had reeled off 21 wins – 17 early – before Adames and was being feted as the new Tommy Hearns.

It didn’t quite work out against Adames, and while his ‘0’ remains intact following the split draw, the same cannot be said of his team. Funez was out as Sheeraz made the decision to move his training camp to Dublin to develop under the in-demand Andy Lee.

Boxers changing trainers in the wake of a loss/poor display is nothing new.

Change is never an exact science

The poster boys for getting rid of an old trainer and achieving great things with a new one are Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko. Both men flourished under the watchful gaze of Emanuel Steward and became more rounded fighters when they moved to Manny and his Kronk team.

Steward significantly shaped both of their careers, helping the Hall-of-Fame fighters develop into dominant and formidable heavyweight champions.

While change can often be positive and lead to growth and progress in sport, it can also be disruptive and even detrimental. In boxing you see, it is not an exact science.

For example, there can be no denying that Anthony Joshua had some fantastic nights with Robert McCracken. Under McCracken’s leadership GB Boxing won five Olympic medals at London 2012, including a gold for AJ.

The pair then embarked on a pro career that transformed the sport in the UK - selling out huge stadiums in record time - and McCracken helped Joshua become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world along the way.

AJ split from his long-term trainer following his first defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, with Joshua later alluding that a lack of defensive training was a key reason for the parting of the ways.

Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Has Joshua improved since 2021? That’s a bit of a loaded question I suppose given he is 35 now and a few years removed from his absolute physical peak. Here’s another one though. How would you rate his defensive performance in his last fight with Daniel Dubois?

Joshua’s financial future and boxing legacy have happily long since been secured. Not so Sheeraz, whose decision to twist at a crucial stage of his career is unquestionably a gamble.

But then life is a gamble, is it not? I disagree with the “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” adage in the context of boxing.

Fresh eyes, fresh ideas

While it would be folly to dramatically overhaul a fighters’ style - and get a front foot fighter to suddenly try to box like Willie Pep - it is possible to refine someone’s style, like what Naazim Richardson did with Shane Mosley towards the back end of Sugar Shane’s career. 

Sometimes a fighter may hit a plateau and feel they need a new pair of eyes on them to add to their fistic repertoire.

A change of trainer doesn’t necessarily need to be a complete overhaul in terms of style. It can just be a fresh voice giving you some new ideas, or a change of scene in terms of gym setting and refining what an elite boxer already does well.

 

As well as his old gym, Sheeraz will also depart the middleweight division - where he had competed for the past three years - and brings his imposing 6-foot-3 frame up to 168 this weekend for a shootout with Berlanga.

Make no mistake. This is brave matchmaking and a proper test. Berlanga is 23-1 (18) and his sole defeat came against moder great Canelo Alvarez in 2024.

In punting parlance this is a pick ‘em fight. A contest in which there is no clear favourite or underdog in terms of the odds.

There is no title on the line in NYC this weekend, but a win for Sheeraz could open the for a huge UK stadium fight with Canelo and life-changing money.

If he has been struggling to do middleweight, then a move up to super-middleweight is a no-brainer.

You can’t begrudge Sheeraz for shaking things up. Boxers have a relatively small window in their life to maximise their talent and their earning potential.

Also, Andy Lee has done wonders with Jospeh Parker and is one of the best young trainers in the game, so there is a real chance he can make Sheeraz a better fighter.

It’s easy to root for Sheeraz. The 26-year-old is respectful and carries himself well.

But history has shown us that the grass is not always greener in another gym, and it will be intriguing to see how Sheeraz looks this weekend.

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