Hamzah Sheeraz says he accepted fights others didn’t

Sheeraz claims both WBC and WBO routes stalled after he accepted terms as he eyes vacant title shot

Hamzah Sheeraz says planned fights with Christian Mbilli and Diego Pacheco fell apart after he agreed to the terms. The unbeaten contender now expects his next bout to come for a vacant WBO title.

“I said yes to both fights,” Sheeraz said to Ring Champs. “Then the other side pulled out.”

The Mbilli fight had initially been ordered by the WBC, placing Sheeraz in position for a significant step toward a world title. That order was later withdrawn, with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez entering the picture and shifting the sanctioning body’s direction.

Sheeraz said the timing added to the frustration, noting he had already paid sanctioning fees tied to his positioning before the order was reversed.

A second opportunity followed almost immediately when a fight with Diego Pacheco was put forward for the WBO route. Public interest from the other side had been clear, but Sheeraz believes the tone changed once he committed.

“I think they were calling my bluff,” Hamzah said, pointing to how quickly the situation cooled after his acceptance.

For Sheeraz, the pattern has been simple. He has stayed ready and agreed to what was put in front of him. The outcomes, he says, have been decided elsewhere.

The 168-pound contender now expects his next fight to come for the vacant WBO title, with his team working to finalize the opponent and date.

Sheeraz is using Alem Begic as a “bridge” opponent in their May fight. conditions. He is waiting on a fight that sticks.

Sheeraz is using Alem Begic as a “bridge” opponent in their fight in May. His team knows they can’t force the stars to fight him yet, so the strategy is: Win the WBO Belt. Once Hamzah has a world title, the other champions have to talk to him if they want to unify.

A dominant win in Manchester keeps him active and builds his “must-see” status. Sheeraz is effectively trying to become “un-avoidable” by collecting the hardware that the big names want. If he wins the WBO belt in May, he becomes a champion, and Canelo’s team might find it harder to ignore a unification clash in Riyadh come September or early 2027.