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Christopher Walker - Sheeraz vs Berlanga: The most important fight of their lives
Boxing is not supposed to be easy, and when analysing the recent bouts of Hamzah Sheeraz and Edgar Berlanga, both men have certainly had it hard.
This Saturday, live on DAZN PPV, both men will headline a huge show in New York hoping that one of boxing’s most iconic fight locations can bring out the best in them. Super-middleweight glory is on the line, but for Sheeraz and Berlanga, fighters with a major point to prove, defeat is not an option.
For so long, both men, fighters from contrasting backgrounds, demonstrated perfection inside the ring as they both made solid impressions in the novice stages of their professional careers. Building records and scoring knockouts, banging on doors as 'can’t miss' prospects.
Sheeraz, the son of a professional cricketer, is a product of Slough, a region of England perhaps most notable as the setting of The Office, rather than a boxing hotbed like Liverpool, Manchester, London, or Sheffield.
An amateur career without the hype or glamour usually associated with future stars, Sheeraz came up quietly, but that all changed when he was matched expertly as a professional under the guidance of Frank Warren.
Sheeraz looked the part, and he had the skills and power to compliment his superstar appearance as he blitzed his way through the rankings making light work of former champions and contenders.
Fighters like Austin Williams and Liam Williams were blown away, but disaster struck earlier this year when he had no answer to the constant pressure of Carlos Adames before escaping with a controversial draw.
Questions have since been asked about Sheeraz’s ceiling and he enters the bout with Berlanga a decent sized underdog, something that would have appeared impossible at the start of the year.
The Puerto Rican puncher turned professional in 2016 under huge scrutiny and that followed him throughout the developmental stages of his career as he registered an incredible 16 first round stoppages.
Berlanga would go the distance in fight 17 and that is when the same analysis now facing Sheeraz got underway for the New York based fighter.
Hearing the final bell became an unwelcome trend for Berlanga, but he kept on winning, and that earned him a showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
Berlanga, despite being over the moon with defeat against the Mexican icon, failed to show anything to convince people he could compete at the highest level, and going the distance with Canelo appeared to be a good night’s work for Berlanga even though he suffered his first loss .
This Saturday night, only one can push on, and the rewards for both men are set to be huge with Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, and Chris Eubank Jr, all potential lucrative options for the victor.
Those aforementioned names are all in action in September, but the man who emerges with victory this weekend will immediately shift their focus to that month to witness what their future holds.
For the loser, it is unclear what happens next. For Sheeraz, a draw with Adames and then a loss to Berlanga, two bouts favoured for him in 2025, may bring a total reset. Andy Lee is now in his corner aiming to teach new tricks, but this is their first fight together and the stakes do not much get higher.
As for Berlanga, a loss to a 168lb debutant would surely hurt his chances of securing big fights moving forward. The 28-year-old is used to big purses and adulation from numerous promoters, but a setback to Sheeraz would see his stock take a major dent.
The fine margins between winning and losing in boxing prove just how much of a cutthroat industry it really is.
Saturday night, either Sheeraz or Berlanga will find out just how prosperous or ruthless this business really is.
Matchroom’s youth policy is in full swing
Eddie Hearn is building for the future.
The Matchroom supremo has waved goodbye to numerous box office draws in recent years, and others are approaching the final stages of their careers too.
In the next year, it is highly likely that Hearn could be left without Katie Taylor and Anthony Joshua, but has he already found their replacements?
In the last month, Tiah Mai Ayton and Leo Atang have made their professional debuts, and Hearn has high hopes for the pair.
Both looked massively impressive when getting their first win on the board, but now the real work begins as their path to the top will need to be guided with care and knowledge.
Hearn has proved he can take a fighter from day one to world title, and if he is to replace his superstar fighters heading towards the exit door, then Ayton and Atang, are going to require a lot of his attention.
The blueprint for both fighters has been followed Hearn with mixed results in the past, but if he gets it right this time, and lands himself another Taylor and Joshua, it may be his finest accomplishment yet.
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