Hamzah Sheeraz is no longer the reigning WBO super middleweight champion after he officially relinquished his title on Friday by withdrawing from the mandated bout against Janibek Alimkhanuly. The WBO had ordered the fight for August, but negotiations between the two sides broke down, leading to a purse bid.
Queensberry Promotions won the bid with an offer of $1,001,809, which meant Sheeraz stood to earn $751,356.75. Despite the substantial purse, Sheeraz decided not to move forward with the fight.
With Sheeraz stepping aside, Alimkhanuly might have to face the next top contender, Diego Pacheco, though Pacheco has a scheduled fight on November 14th, which will be broadcast on TNT and could conflict.
Sheeraz has recently been receiving seven-figure paydays from events like Riyadh Season and Ring Magazine shows and evidently found the offered purse insufficient. He initially captured his title by knocking out Alem Begic in the second round and last fought in July, securing a majority decision victory over Simon Zachenhuber.
Having only one fight remaining on his contract with Queensberry—the promotion that won the purse bid—Sheeraz appears to be considering other promotional opportunities. In August, he mentioned to Uncrowned that Zuffa Boxing is an option he plans to explore once he becomes a free agent, though he is not yet certain if he will leave Queensberry.
Fan Take: This development shakes up the super middleweight division, leaving fans eager to see how the title picture unfolds without Sheeraz. It also highlights the growing influence of promotional dynamics and purse negotiations in shaping the future of top fighters and championship matchups.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
