Former world title challenger Spencer Oliver believes Hamzah Sheeraz will beat Canelo Alvarez if the two meet next year, arguing that age and timing are starting to work against the Mexican star.
Sheeraz captured the WBO super middleweight title last Saturday with a dominant win over Alem Begic, immediately creating new discussion about a future showdown with Canelo. During a boxing discussion this week, Oliver said he would favor Sheeraz if the fight took place in England.
“My money would be on Hamzah to beat him,” Oliver told talkSport Boxing. “I think if you look at it, there’s a decline with Canelo Alvarez. I think we’ve seen that. The punch output now, he’s charging with every shot and everything else. Hamzah Sheeraz is going through.
“I think when and if that fight is made, every month that goes by goes more in favor of Hamzah Sheeraz. And I think it’s all about the timing of this fight. I think it can happen. Sheeraz wins it.”
Oliver was not alone in supporting Sheeraz. The panel discussion centered on whether Canelo is entering the final stages of his career and whether younger fighters are arriving at the right moment.
A fight between Sheeraz and Canelo remains speculative. Canelo is scheduled to defend his super middleweight championship against Christian Mbilli on September 12, while Sheeraz is expected to begin exploring his options as a newly crowned world champion.
The September fight could answer some of the questions Oliver raised. Canelo has won several of his recent fights, but critics have pointed to periods of lower activity in the second half of fights against opponents such as Dmitry Bivol, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jaime Munguia, Edgar Berlanga and Terence Crawford.
If Canelo defeats Mbilli convincingly, calls for a Sheeraz showdown are likely to grow louder. If he struggles or loses, the conversation could look very different by the end of the year.
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Last updated on 2026/05/29 at 11:03
