British star, former 140 pound champ Amir Khan is pretty well qualified when it comes to predicting a Canelo Alvarez fight, this as Khan actually fought the Mexican star some years back (and was doing pretty well for a few rounds before being brutally KO’d by the far, far bigger man).
And now, with talk of Canelo perhaps fighting latest British star in the making Hamzah Sheeraz next year (dependant on what happens in Canelo’s massive fight with Terence Crawford next month), Khan has gone on record saying what he thinks will happen if the fight does take place. Khan, speaking with IFL TV, said he believes 26 year old Sheeraz can beat Canelo, but he doesn’t think Canelo will actually take the fight as it too risky.
Khan Breaks Down Why Sheeraz Could Trouble Canelo
Khan said Canelo “has trouble with taller guys,” and Sheeraz, a towering 168 pounder who has even been compared to the great Thomas Hearns, certainly would hold both height and reach advantages over Canelo.
“Canelo always has problems with guys that are taller than him,” Khan began. “And [Sheeraz is] someone with a hard jab, a strong jab. I honestly think he can beat Canelo, but I don’t think Canelo will take that fight. Because if you think about it, there’s a lot for him to lose. He’ll be thinking, ‘oh, why do I have to fight this young, hungry fighter?’ Unless Turki [Alalshikh] puts the money down and says he has to fight him. So, the pressure of [making] that fight is on Turki. As a boxing fan, I would like to see that fight, because I think Hamzah beats him.”
Will Canelo Even Want Sheeraz After Crawford?
It will all come down to Canelo and what he wants to do post-Crawford, not Turki. Because Canelo has an absolute shed of money already, and he will not in my opinion be persuaded to fight anyone he doesn’t want to fight at this stage of his career, not for any price. But we will see. Maybe Canelo likes the Sheeraz fight.
Sheeraz, who openly says he idolises Canelo, may or may not be ready for a fight of this magnitude, maybe it would be a little too soon for him in early 2026. Then again, how much has Canelo got left at age 35? The Crawford fight may give us plenty of answers in this regard. Sheeraz, 22-0-1(18) is waiting in the wings, no doubt, and he really is a special talent. But how much desire will Canelo still have after his possible tough and frustrating night of September 13, and will Sheeraz get the chance to share a ring with his boxing hero?
