Hamzah Sheeraz is no longer the WBO super middleweight champion after vacating his title on Friday by officially pulling out of the mandated bout against Janibek Alimkhanuly. The WBO had ordered Sheeraz to face the former unified middleweight champ in August, but when the two sides couldn’t settle on terms, a purse bid was triggered.
Queensberry Promotions won the bid with an offer of $1,001,809, which would have given Sheeraz $751,356.75 for the fight. However, that amount wasn’t enough to convince him to move forward. With Alimkhanuly potentially ordered to fight the division’s next top contender, Diego Pacheco, scheduling conflicts may arise since Pacheco is eyeing a November 14 fight broadcast on TNT, which could leave him unavailable.
Sheeraz, who has been making seven-figure earnings from Riyadh Season and Ring Magazine events, was unsatisfied with the fight purse. He originally won the WBO title by knocking out Alem Begic in the second round and last defended it in July via majority decision against Simon Zachenhuber.
With only one fight remaining under his Queensberry contract—and given that Queensberry was the one to secure the purse bid—Sheeraz appears open to exploring new promotional opportunities. In August, he told Uncrowned he is considering Zuffa Boxing once he becomes a free agent but remains undecided, as he could still re-sign with Queensberry.
Fan Take: This development shakes up the super middleweight division and highlights the growing challenges champions face balancing lucrative deals against mandatory defenses. For fight fans, it signals potential exciting matchups shifting and the increasing influence of promotional dynamics in shaping boxing’s landscape.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
