Frank Warren targets mega fight for Sheeraz next

Hamzah Sheeraz and Edgar Berlanga will step into the ring on July 12 at the Louis Armstrong Stadium as the co-main event alongside Shakur Stevenson vs William Zepeda. 

Sheeraz is coming off an unsuccessful first world title challenge against Carlos Adames at middleweight, claiming a draw that many protested he was lucky to get. He has since moved his training camp to Dublin to develop under the sought-after Andy Lee.

Berlanga has made a successful comeback since losing to Canelo by knocking out Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in the first round earlier this year to set up this grudge match.

Sheeraz’s promoter, Frank Warren, has weighed in on the card and the circumstances surrounding Sheeraz’s sudden move up to super-middleweight. 

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The Brit put on an uncharacteristically quiet performance against Adames, and Warren sides with the masses,  believing that 'he was fortunate to get the decision'.

But the Hall of Fame Promoter told The Ring that, behind closed doors, his fighter had been struggling with the weight-cut and a hand injury that led to his dampened skills on the night. 

This has not affected the Queensberry Boss’s confidence in Sheeraz, who will step up to super middleweight and go straight into the ring against a world title challenger. He said that Sheeraz is a true fighting man, wasting no time in targeting the top of the 168lbs division

Warren said to The Ring: “He’s gone straight into the deep end. He’s not just fighting a good fighter but fighting him in his backyard.”

He concluded: “No messing about – [he’s] going for it.”

Coming off a lacklustre draw, it would be easy to stack some pressure on Sheeraz to get a win in this fight, or he could find himself in a career purgatory - but Warren does not see it this way.

He believes the pressure is all on Berlanga, the established super-middleweight contender, coming up against the fighter moving up in weight.

Warren said: “I think the pressure is on Berlanga, he’s the home fighter, he’s got the guy fighting up [in weight]. A lot of people fancy him to win the fight, so the pressure is on him to deliver.” 

This fight could have world title implications for the super middleweight division as Turki Alalshikh has offered the winner a shot at Canelo Alvarez if he comes through his undisputed showdown with Terence Crawford.

Sheeraz’s promoter does not want to distract his man by looking too far ahead, but believes it is a good motivator for Sheeraz to put on his best performance to date and dispel any doubt over his pedigree.

The Queensberry founder said: “He's got to put all that [a potential Canelo fight] in the back of his mind” 

He added: “For the winner of the Berlanga-Hamzah fight, which I believe will be Hamzah, it’s a great carrot for him.”

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