NOW operating under the watchful eye of sought-after trainer Andy Lee, Hamzah Sheeraz hopes to prove that his last performance was merely a flash in the pan.
The 25-year-old entered by far the toughest test of his professional career in February and, for the most part, looked a somewhat passive version of his typically more assertive self.
As a result, Sheeraz, 21-0-1 (17 KOs), was ultimately forced to come away from his clash against Carlos Adames, a seasoned WBC world middleweight champion, with a less than satisfactory draw.
Soon after, the towering contender revealed an image of his hand injury and, perhaps less surprisingly, has since confirmed that his future lies at 168lbs.
Those extra 8lbs should, of course, make a sizable difference, with the talented technician now looking to remind fans of his undeniable potential.
Ahead of his next outing, one can only assume that Sheeraz, with the addition of former world champion Lee in his corner, will make the necessary adjustments.
In any case, though, it would appear that the Brit is as eager as ever to test himself at world level, with a potential showdown against Edgar Berlanga remaining firmly on his mind.
Since suffering a unanimous decision defeat to super-middleweight king Canelo Alvarez last year, Berlanga, 23-1 (18 KOs), has bounced back with just one victory, a first-round stoppage over limited operator Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz, in March.
But even so, the 27-year-old remains an appealing name for Sheeraz, with their matchup having been mentioned by Eddie Hearn as part of his next 5v5 event with Frank Warren.
“The Edgar Berlanga fight would be one of interest,” Sheeraz said on The Boxing Show.
“At the end of the day, he’s a big 168 pounder; he’s strong. The position I’m in – I need to kind of get my respect back again.
“I need to show that it was just a bad performance [against Adames]. Chuck me back in there and I’ll do what I have to do.”
With a clash between Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo – who fight on the same card on May 31 – appearing likely for later this year, it could be said that Berlanga, without an obvious rival to call out, may welcome the potential Sheeraz fight, too.
