Promoter Eddie Hearn says Hamzah Sheeraz’s best hope of beating super -mid -weight contender Edgar Berlanga is to drag him in the second half in their collision on July 12 Dazn ppv.
Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 food) makes its debut on 168 against Slugger Berlanga (23-1, 18 cost) in their 12-round main liner at Turki Alalshikh’s event at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Sheeraz Debut 168 Challenge
“I feel like Hamzah sheeraz after 168 who really will really help him. Hamzah has a very good ring IQ,” Eddie Hearn said Dazn boxWhat preview of next month’s super -middleweight fight between Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz in Queens, New York.
Moving to 168 is going to make Sheeraz’s life even more difficult, because he will no longer have the size and power benefit he owned at 160 against the ham-and-minds against which his promoter combined him in his early days.
“Is it a risky battle for the first fight on 168? Many (for Sheeraz). Edgar is very heavy, he is very explosive, and what Edgar does, if he is confident, is with you. He is happy to exchange with you. Hamzah can hit,” says Hearn.
Sheeraz’s power is perhaps the only thing that can save him in this battle, because if he does not exchange with Berlanga, he will be reduced to meteorine. This battle has an early knockout written all over.
“What is my concern, Edgar has hands in the exchange very quickly, and I think Hamzah should be very careful early in the fight, not just carried away at the moment and just lose his shape, lose his shape and just exchange with Edgar, because Edgar has a lot of power.”
If Hamzah does not exchange with Berlanga early to get his respect, he will be knocked out immediately. Against a big puncher like Edgar, you have no choice, because he is a knockout artist who immediately goes for the murder.
Berlanga’s sky height trust
“I think Edgar’s confidence at the moment is sky high. He fought against Canelo Alvarez,” says Hearn. “I thought he could have done a lot more in that fight, but I think he also has the confidence to go,” I felt the power. I felt the experience. ‘
The way Berlanga fought in the late rounds against Canelo, and his first knockout victory over Jonathan Gonzalez Organ on March 15, did a lot for his confidence. Sheeraz chose the wrong time for him to fight against Berlanga.
“You saw in his next battle with an easy opponent (Jonathan Gonzalez Organ). I think you should make Edgar the favorite in that battle, but Hamzah Sheeraz has every shot if he can get the right game plan with (new coach) Andy Lee, who also trained Jason Quigley, which Edgar interested had a few fights (in 2023), ‘says Hears. “He had success in that battle (Comment: Berlanga dropped Quigley four times).
I don’t know what Hearn is talking about here. Quigley had zero success against Berlanga in that battle in 2023. Berlanga dropped Quigley in rounds 3, 5 and twice in the round. The only thing Jason did in the fight was to survive and took up very severe punishment. Unlike that, it was all Berlanga.
“So it’s a wonderful game. If you have a choice in New York with Momentum, you will probably go with Edgar Berlanga, but Hamzah Sheeraz is very alive in that battle, ‘says Hearn. ‘Edgar is aggressive early. If you could go out cold and get caught by Edgar Berlanga early, you’re in trouble. For me, as soon as it goes past five or six rounds, Hamzah can become the favorite in that battle. ‘
Berlanga is dangerous even in the later rounds. He does not lose power as his fights progress. We saw that in his fight against Canelo Alvarez last September, when Edgar landed his best shots in the 12th round, alive and looked excellent at the end. He was fresh and even more dangerous in that round than at the beginning of the fight.
Hamzah does not have elite experience
“The danger to Hamzah Sheeraz is early exchanges, which get cold by a big puncher. Yes, I think Hamzah has no experience at that level. In his last struggle for the (WBC middle weight) world title he didn’t really show up (against champion Carlos Adames on February 22),” Hearn said. “I know he hurt his hand in battle. I think 160 should have killed him too. ‘
Hearn does not point out that Hamzah deserved a loss in the battle in Riyadh and was rescued by the judge’s staff, who draws him a 12 round. I watched the fight and had it for Adames 11-1. It was a complete mismatch. Sheeraz reminded some fans of Amir Khan with his poor punching resistance and the way he would wither if he was under pressure.
“Just the experience of fighting against world -class opposition. Hamzah is a composed man, I think if he can put a good performance, he has a shot,” says Hearn.
It doesn’t look good for Shezaz, who goes up against Berlanga in his first fight on 168, after probably losing against Carlos Adames in February last year. As Hearn points out, the best hope of Sheeraz is to drag Berlanga in the second half of the competition, and then hope he takes enough to get a standstill. I don’t see it happening, but it’s the only shot I can see for winning Sheeraz.
Last updated on 06/04/2025
