In a star-making performance headlining the Ring III event from Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, NY, Hamzah Sheeraz of Ilford Essex, England, demolished Edgar Berlanga in the fifth round to become the WBC’s mandatory challenger to the winner of the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford super middleweight championship taking place in September. 

 

Following a draw against Carlos Adames in his last bout in February, there were questions lingering about Sheeraz’s ability to compete at this level. Feeling that performance was hampered by a weight issue, the six-foot-three Sheeraz, 167.6 lbs., decided to move up to the super middleweight division. He also changed trainers, working with Andy Lee, a former middleweight world champion, and setting up camp in Dublin, Ireland, to prepare for this bout.

 

Edgar Berlanga, 167.6 lbs., who was born in Brooklyn, NY, to Puerto Rican parents, but now lives in Lithia, FL, started quick, hooking and connecting with his jab-straight right combination. Although he found a home for his left hook to the head on occasion, Sheeraz, who has a habit of keeping his hands down leaving his chin exposed, was susceptible to countershots and Berlanga had the sharper offense in the early going. By round four, both fighters were standing shoulder-to-shoulder exchanging power punches. While on the inside, a left hook-right hook-left hook combination from Sheeraz floored Berlanda in a heap. Though he arose, another series of hooks sent Berlanga crashing to the canvas once more, but again he survived to hear the bell. 

 

Sheeraz swarmed his adversary, still clearly hurt and dazed, in the opening seconds of the fifth and landed another thudding combination of hooks to the head, causing him to double over, touching his gloves to the mat. Referee David Fields had seen enough punishment, halting the bout 17 seconds into the stanza. Securing an emphatic TKO stoppage victory—something Canelo couldn’t do when he fought Berlanga last year—Sheeraz improved to 22-0-1 (18 KOs) in his US debut. Going 1-2 in his last three bouts, Berlanga is now 23-2 (18 KOs). 

 

“With only eight weeks, my training camp with Andy Lee was a crash course. We couldn’t complicate anything, just focusing on throwing more punches and the right punches,” said Sheeraz.

 

“The first few rounds I was losing, but I was adjusting. Berlanga’s jab surprised me and he was catching me a lot. I learned from the Adames fight. I don’t think Berlanga expected me to fight in close like I did.”

 

“From an eight-year-old kid in the UK who had nothing, I never thought I’d be here. Now we’re here and it’s my time to shine.”