A clash between two unbeaten contenders is now officially in motion, as the WBO has ordered Diego Pacheco and Hamzah Sheeraz to fight for the vacant super middleweight title. The vacancy follows Terence Crawford’s retirement, which prompted the organization to move quickly to crown a new belt holder.
The WBO announced the order on December 22, with formal notice sent to the fighters’ promoters, Matchroom Boxing for Pacheco and Queensberry Promotions for Sheeraz, in a letter dated December 20. The two camps have been given 20 days to negotiate a deal before the bout is sent to a purse bid, with a minimum bid set at $300,000.
The decision notably excludes Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the WBO’s No. 1-ranked super middleweight, as he underwent elbow surgery in October and is not expected to return until the second or third quarter of 2026. In the WBO’s latest rankings update released December 22, Pacheco is ranked No. 2 and Sheeraz No. 3, with the pair having swapped positions from the previous month.
Pacheco enters the ordered bout with a perfect 25-0 record (18 KOs). The 24-year-old American is coming off a unanimous decision win earlier this month over fellow unbeaten contender Kevin Lele Sadjo, though the performance followed similarly underwhelming victories over Steven Nelson and Trevor McCumby earlier in 2025.
Sheeraz, a 26-year-old from England, holds a record of 22-0-1 (18 KOs). After fighting through injury to a controversial draw with middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames in February, he rebounded emphatically in July, moving up to 168 pounds and stopping Edgar Berlanga in five rounds.
Image Credit: The Ring