How a street fighter and an electrician ended up one fight away from facing Canelo

New York is preparing itself for a huge super middleweight clash on Saturday night when Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz meet at Louis Armstrong Stadium. 

Both men have the same goal, getting in a position to challenge the current undisputed champion at 168 lbs, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, but only one can keep this dream alive.

Ahead of the opening bell, DAZN News' Matt Astbury takes a look at the journey to this much anticipated contest. 

Berlanga ready to get revenge over Canelo

 

Ahead of his fight with Canelo Alvarez last September, Berlanga was seen as a huge threat to the Mexican with his explosive hands.

Alvarez was cruising to comfortable wins with some beginning to get frustrated with his performances and there was some hope Berlanga could force the former into a firefight.

Come fight night, Berlanga failed to deliver. After being knocked down in round three, Berlanga struggled to get any foothold against one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters and lost by unanimous decision.

Berlanga bounced back to winning ways after the loss to Alvarez in March with a first round knockout against Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz. If he can do the same against a rising star in Sheeraz, he will get Alvarez's attention and attempt to show why the first encounter was merely a blip on his resume. 

Sheeraz finally makes super middleweight debut, but it's a tough test

Standing at six foot and three inches, Hamzah Sheeraz was a freak of nature when campaigning at middleweight. 

A man of his size somehow made the 160 lb limit, but the boiling down did not seem to have any ill effects on his punching power with 17 of his 21 wins coming by way of knockout.

In February, Sheeraz got his shot at a world title against WBC champion Carlos Adames with a win being the breakthrough moment for the British fighter. 

What transpired was a difficult 12 rounds for Sheeraz who lost control in the second half of the fight with Adames' combinations beginning to land. 

 

Luckily for Sheeraz, the bout was ruled a draw and it was the final warning he needed to make the move to super middleweight.

With those eight extra pounds, Sheeraz will be looking to fulfil his potential in a less depleted body, but when it comes to a first fight at the weight, it does not get much tougher than a former rival of Canelo Alvarez.

What lies ahead for the winner?

With Berlanga and Sheeraz meeting on a prestigious Ring Magazine card, it's no secret that the winner will be lined up to challenge for world super middleweight honours.

While Canelo Alvarez is the current undisputed champion, this could all change on September 13 when the Mexican faces Terence Crawford in a fight for the ages.

The picture at the top of the super middleweight ladder will become much clearer once Canelo-Crawford has taken place, but for either Berlanga or Sheeraz, now is the chance to plant their flag and showcase why they should be facing one of these two pound-for-pound greats before they decide to hang up the gloves for good. 

Watch Usyk vs Dubois 2 exclusively live on DAZN PPV, Saturday, July 19 for £24.99 UK; $59.99 US; $19.99/equivalent ROW. Buy the PPV now here