Canelo watches from ringside as Hamzah Sheeraz wins his old belt with destructive KO

Sheldan Keay

Canelo watches from ringside as Hamzah Sheeraz wins his old belt with destructive KO
Image credit: Matchroom / Getty

Canelo Alvarez had one of the best seats in the house as one of his old world title belts was claimed by the likely future star of the super-middleweight division.

Canelo had dominated the 168lbs scene for several years and was the undisputed super-middleweight champion up until his showdown with Terence Crawford last September.

Despite moving up two weight classes, Crawford secured a unanimous decision win to claim all four major world titles before then hanging up the gloves shortly afterwards.

Following that retirement, it meant the belts became fragmented, with it announced that the vacant WBO title would be contested between Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic. That bout taking place this evening at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, though fans would have missed it if they blinked.

Canelo was able to witness first-hand the quality of Sheeraz, as the unbeaten Brit dominated on his way to a second-round body shot stoppage win, becoming world champion for the first time.

Now that Sheeraz has a world title belt around his waist, it could entice Canelo into a future showdown against the 26-year-old, who has made it clear for several years that he would love an opportunity to face the Mexican superstar.

Before any possibility of that clash, Canelo first looks to win back the WBC when he challenges new champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 12.

A possible unification match-up with Sheeraz could then come next, but after the destructive performance over Begic, Canelo may also decide it could be smart to look elsewhere.

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