Hamzah Sheeraz has been called out for a “huge” British stadium showdown, but only if he retains his WBO title by the time next summer rolls around.
The 27-year-old became a world champion in May, scoring a second-round finish against overmatched challenger Alem Begic for the vacant super-middleweight belt.
Since then, Sheeraz has successfully defended his WBO strap – via points victory over Simon Zachenhuber last month – and is now set to face mandatory challenger Janibek Alimkhanuly.
The pair have been ordered to collide in due course, with former unified champion Alimkhanuly moving up to 168lbs after testing positive for banned substance Meldonium in December.
It is therefore uncertain that Sheeraz will retain his title but, if he does, a domestic dustup with Callum Simpson could suddenly become realistic.
The Barnsley man exacted his revenge over Troy Williamson last Saturday, unanimously outpointing his man after suffering a 10th-round stoppage defeat in their first encounter.
But while pleased to reclaim his British and Commonwealth belts, Simpson is now targeting a world title shot and a return to Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium.
Speaking with talkSPORT, the 29-year-old explained that Sheeraz represents his most desirable opponent for the summer of 2027.
“It might be Hamzah Sheeraz at Oakwell – he’s the one that’s got the [WBO] title. If we do Oakwell, it would have to be in the summer. That would be a huge fight.”
While the Simpson fight could materialise, Sheeraz will likely be targeting a unification match – possibly against the winner of Christian Mbilli vs Canelo Alvarez – if he proves successful against Alimkhanuly.
