Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens will shake on July 12 when Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz square off in a 12-round WBC super-middleweight title eliminator, live on DAZN PPV. Analyst-turned-podcaster Shawn Porter has poured fuel on the build-up, branding Berlanga “a very one-note fighter” who “looks for the perfect punch” and struggles when it isn’t there. Porter is backing unbeaten Briton Sheeraz to upset the odds and jump the queue toward Canelo Álvarez.
Porter’s verdict stems from Berlanga’s 2024 points loss to Canelo, where the Brooklyn banger tried boxing instead of brawling and fell hopelessly behind. He ignores, however, Berlanga’s return to form last March, a single-round blitz of Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz that reminded fans why 16 straight early knockouts once crowned him boxing’s next big menace. “With Edgar it’s bombs away—and why change?” counters trainer Marc Farrait, promising “seek-and-destroy from the opening bell.”
Watch Berlanga vs. Sheeraz face-off: Watch
Sheeraz brings the antithesis: length, rhythm and a steady jab honed during his contentious draw with WBC middleweight king Carlos Adames. Critics claim that bout exposed the Londoner’s ceiling - Adames out-landed him all night - but Porter insists the 6-foot-3 stylist “showed himself well” and owns the versatility Berlanga lacks.
Beyond pride, a golden ticket dangles. Saudi deal-maker Turki Alalshikh has floated Sheeraz, plus the Eubank-Benn II winner, as front-runners for a Canelo date next February. Berlanga can’t read his name on that list yet, but one highlight-reel finish on July 12 could write it in bold.
Image Credit: The Ring