WBO Sends Pacheco vs Sheeraz to Purse Bids After Talks Fail

Negotiations for the vacant WBO super middleweight title have ended without a deal, and the process has now moved out of the promoters’ hands.

The WBO has placed Diego Pacheco and Hamzah Sheeraz into purse bid proceedings after the negotiating deadline passed without an agreement. A purse bid session will be scheduled, with the date, time, and location to be confirmed.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed the step on social media, stating that the organisation will proceed under its regulations following the failure of talks.

The title has been vacant since Terence Crawford relinquished it in December 2025. The WBO ordered Pacheco and Sheeraz to contest the belt later that month and opened a standard negotiating period. That window closed without terms being finalised.

Pacheco enters the picture unbeaten after 25 professional fights, with 18 stoppage wins. He is promoted by Matchroom Boxing. Sheeraz has moved through 23 fights without a loss, with 22 wins and one draw, stopping 18 opponents. He is promoted by Queensberry Promotions. With neither side securing an agreement, the sanctioning body has shifted the bout into a bidding process.

Purse bids are usually triggered when neither camp is willing to concede control. In this case, both fighters sit in a similar position. Each is regarded as a legitimate contender, but neither has reached a level where leverage is obvious. The WBO has now forced the issue.

From a competitive standpoint, the matchup carries real questions.

Pacheco tends to keep things measured. He uses the jab, takes small steps back, and lets opponents drift into shots. Rounds can slip away while the other corner searches for an answer. It is not spectacular, but it is difficult to disrupt once established.

Sheeraz presents a different type of pressure. He is large for the division and believes in his power. When he feels an opening, he commits. The test here is whether he can close distance consistently without paying for it over time.

The fight likely turns on who controls the space early. If Pacheco keeps Sheeraz reaching and resetting, the night leans his way. If Sheeraz finds a path inside, the dynamic changes quickly.

Pacheco looks like the steadier option on paper. Sheeraz remains the variable that can undo a plan in one moment.