Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz Crushes Edgar Berlanga To Announce 168lb Arrival

Rising British prima Hamzah Sheeraz made an explosive presence to boxing’s ace middleweight section connected Saturday night, stopping Edgar Berlanga successful nan 5th information of their bout astatine nan USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center successful Queens. The destructive capacity marked a resounding debut astatine 168lb for nan 26-year-old from Ilford and dramatically altered nan scenery of a weight people ruled by Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez.

Fighting successful nan main arena of a Ring Magazine paper staged connected nan No 2 show tribunal of nan US Open tennis tournament, Sheeraz dropped Berlanga doubly successful nan 4th information earlier closing nan show 17 seconds into nan fifth. It was nan benignant of showcase that not only silences critics but instantly propels a combatant from imaginable to contender – and successful this case, into imaginable lucrative matchups pinch nan likes of Álvarez aliases David Benavidez.

The mounting for Sheeraz’s career-best triumph was conscionable arsenic striking arsenic nan action. For nan first time, nan grounds of nan US Open hosted a master boxing card, transforming Louis Armstrong Stadium from nan belief location of American tennis into a midsummer prizefighting stage. Originally slated for Central Park, nan arena alternatively brought Turki al-Sheikh’s Ring bid indoors beneath nan stadium’s retractable roof, offering invited alleviation from New York’s July swelter and a robust turnout that filled nan little vessel and pushed into nan 2nd tier. The segment was crackling pinch power – a crisp opposition from May’s sparsely attended Times Square card – and a fitting capstone to a boxing-heavy play successful New York that had begun pinch Katie Taylor’s triumph complete Amanda Serrano connected Friday nighttime astatine Madison Square Garden.

Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) was making his ace middleweight front aft a disappointing divided tie against Carlos Adames astatine 160lb successful February. In nan aftermath of that result, he enlisted erstwhile middleweight champion Andy Lee arsenic his trainer and moved up successful weight. Both decisions looked inspired connected Saturday.

After a slow first 3 rounds, Sheeraz took power successful nan fourth. He slipped nether a Berlanga uppercut and countered pinch a near hook that sent nan Brooklyn autochthonal crashing level onto his backmost and half nether nan ropes. Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) hit nan count but ne'er recovered. Seconds later, Sheeraz dropped him again pinch a crisp left-right operation that sent him clattering to nan canvas, seemingly much pensive than defiant.

The doorbell temporarily spared Berlanga, but Sheeraz needed conscionable 1 much salvo successful nan 5th – a right-left that near Berlanga sagging – to punctual referee David Fields’ rightful intervention.

“I committedness you, I committedness to you, whoever was successful nan ringing pinch maine today, location was nary stopping me,” Sheeraz said afterward. “The magnitude of maltreatment I sewage aft nan past conflict made maine a hungrier fighter.”

The quality successful people and composure was evident. Berlanga’s only declare to fame was going nan region pinch Álvarez successful 2023. On Saturday, he was overwhelmed against nan taller, rangier Briton who accomplished what Canelo couldn’t. The powerfulness that erstwhile led him to 16 consecutive first-round knockouts ne'er materialized, while his defense near wide gaps for Sheeraz to exploit. He has now been stopped for nan first clip successful his profession and leaves pinch much questions than answers astir his future.

Sheeraz, connected nan different hand, looks for illustration a genuine threat successful a stacked weight class. His size, reach, and poise – not to mention his jab, which he utilized masterfully successful nan early rounds – propose he belongs among nan elite. Whether Álvarez, Benavidez aliases personification other will beryllium adjacent remains to beryllium seen. But connected a nighttime wherever nan crowd astir filled nan 2nd platform of nan 14,000-seat stadium, he managed to triumph them complete contempt nan hometown credentials of his Brooklyn-bred victim.

In nan co-feature bout, Shakur Stevenson turned successful 1 of nan much entertaining performances of his career, defeating Mexico’s William Zepeda by unanimous determination to clasp his WBC lightweight title. The ringside judges handed down scores of 119–109 and 118–110 (twice), but nan conflict was much spirited than nan cards suggest.

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) came into nan ringing nether aggravated unit to present a much fan-friendly capacity aft a widely panned win complete Artem Harutyunyan past July. On Saturday, he answered that disapproval by opinionated his ground, exchanging pinch 1 of nan division’s much fierce fighters and showcasing some his method mastery and his tenacity.

“I came successful present to beryllium a point,” Stevenson said successful nan ring. “It wasn’t nan capacity I was looking for because I came successful present to effort and fight, truthful I took much reward than usual. But I proved that I’m a dog.”

Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) landed much powerfulness punches connected Stevenson than immoderate erstwhile opponent, including a difficult consecutive correct successful nan 3rd information that appeared to stun nan 2016 Olympic metallic medallist. Yet Stevenson responded pinch poise and precision, unloading crisp counters and blinding combinations that many times turned Zepeda’s caput and backed him up.

As early arsenic nan 2nd round, Stevenson was opinionated successful nan pocket, trading caput shots while slipping and rolling Zepeda’s champion assemblage activity successful his signature Philly ammunition defense. In nan mediate rounds, he took complete completely, doubling and tripling up connected nan jab, past pursuing pinch crisp lefts and uppercuts.

Zepeda remained game, pressing guardant and refusing to wilt, but Stevenson’s trade gradually dismantled nan Mexican’s offense. By nan 10th, nan challenger’s output had slowed and Stevenson began utilizing his legs much sparingly, clinching only erstwhile perfectly necessary. For Stevenson, nan conflict marked a reassertion of power successful a 135lb section wherever a unification bout pinch Gervonta Davis looms arsenic 1 of nan sport’s astir compelling matchups.

Earlier successful nan evening, Subriel Matías captured nan vacant WBC ace lightweight title pinch a mostly determination complete nan antecedently unbeaten Alberto Puello, while Cuban ray heavyweight David Morrell showed grit to rally from a fifth-round knockdown and separator Imam Khataev connected a divided decision.