Hamzah Sheeraz Seeks Redemption Against Edgar Berlanga
When your promoter and possibly the most powerful man in boxing gives you instructions shouting from your corner during a fight, you know things aren’t going well. That was the case for Hamzah Sheeraz in February, and now he seeks to prove his worth in the ring.
Sheeraz was expected to overcome Carlos Adames and win the WBC middleweight title. He was considered the next big British star and one of Frank Warren’s crown jewels.
However, as the fight progressed, it became evident that Sheeraz was struggling. So much so, that Warren and Turki Alalshikh were giving him instructions in the final rounds.
“I ran to the corner and said, ‘Listen, if you don’t win these three rounds, you’ve lost'”, recalled Warren.
Frank Warren
The fight ended in a draw. No belt, no moment of glory. Subsequently, it was revealed that Sheeraz suffered a hand fracture during the fight and had serious difficulties making the 160-pound weight before the match. Regardless of this, significant changes occurred.
The first step was a timely move up to super middleweight, where he will face Edgar Berlanga in New York this week. He also changed teams, moving to Ireland to train with Andy Lee, possibly the best in the business at the moment.
Whether the draw with Adames was a wake-up call or just a bad night, Sheeraz returns this weekend with the intention of making a statement and proving that he is still the next big British star, presenting himself in the United States.Hamzah Sheeraz (R) espera una gran actuación contra Edgar Berlanga el sábado.“You can’t ask for a better fight to present to the American fans, you know what I mean?” said Sheeraz before the Ring III card at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“You can’t ask for a better fight and someone who has a loud mouth and talks a lot of trash. It also attracts a lot more attention to the fight. So, all I have to do is go in, perform, and that makes my job easier.”
Before the fight with Adames, Sheeraz had passed all tests with great success and had a streak of 15 knockouts. His talent is obvious.
The association with Lee aims to take him to the next level, as well as a change of scenery. The 26-year-old boxer says that the move to Dublin, very different from his previous base in Los Angeles, has been “incredible”.
“It’s been brilliant, refreshing, because I was in Los Angeles for about four or five years and things started to get very repetitive,” explains Sheeraz. “Once things start to get repetitive, you can fall into bad habits and bad rhythms and yes, the change of scenery and Dublin itself, has been incredible.”Sheeraz se topó con Carlos Adames en febrero.“Normally, when you go with new coaches, some things feel forced, certain conversations feel forced. He’s a very, very, very confident and assured man because, you know what he’s done, he’s been there and done it.”
Lee’s history as a coach, as well as his success as a world champion boxer, speaks for itself.
The career of heavyweight Joseph Parker has changed and, more recently, he joined Ben Whittaker after his first fight against Liam Cameron ended in a controversial draw.
After a few weeks working with Lee, Whittaker won the rematch with a technical knockout in the second round.
Like Whittaker, Sheeraz reached a point where he needed to change things, and Berlanga will be an excellent test in his return.
“You discover things about yourself that you need to change or that you need to calm or that you need to improve to be a true global contender,” he says.
“So, hopefully, when [the fight] comes, I’ll give the performance of my career and I’ll be able to look back at that fight as a blessing in disguise.”
Warren will want a less hectic night for himself, but he knows how big the challenge will be in New York.
“He went straight to the deepest part. It’s a tough fight,” says Warren.
“He’s with Berlanga, who thinks a lot of himself. He’s a dominant type of fighter, [Sheeraz] is in his backyard. He has to come out here, be the boss and put him in his place and I think he can do it.”
