Turki Alalshikh sparked a social-media firestorm after admitting he would be “very upset” if Shakur Stevenson or Hamzah Sheeraz lose on his 12 July DAZN PPV at Queens’ Louis Armstrong Stadium. The Riyadh Season mastermind called defeats for either fighter “a complete disaster,” citing “big plans” that include pencilling Sheeraz as a possible Canelo opponent next February. Within minutes, #TurkiBias trended on X, critics blasting the promoter for publicly tipping the competitive scale.
The remarks fuel concern that razor-close scorecards could tilt toward the house fighters. Stevenson defends his WBC lightweight title against relentless volume-puncher William Zepeda, while Sheeraz meets heavy-handed New Yorker Edgar Berlanga in a super-middleweight headliner. Both bouts are widely viewed as the toughest of the favorites’ careers; many fans pick Berlanga by knockout and question whether the elusive Stevenson can survive an 18-foot ring without resorting to the “run-and-hold” tactics that drew jeers against Edwin De Los Santos.
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Alalshikh’s confession also undermines his own pledge to eliminate dull, safety-first bouts. Zepeda vows to force Shakur into exchanges, while Berlanga insists Sheeraz’s “chin won’t reach round six.” Neutral observers argue upsets would benefit U.S. boxing: Zepeda’s crowd-pleasing style and Berlanga’s Brooklyn fanbase offer bigger domestic star potential than the defensively minded Stevenson or still-unknown Sheeraz.
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