Hamzah Sheeraz has vacated his European middleweight title in anticipation of fighting for a version of the world title on February 22.
The 25 year old stopped Tyler Denny on the undercard of Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua in September, and is on course to fight on one of the IBF heavyweight champion’s undercards again, when Dubois makes his second title defence.
Sheeraz is the number-one contender to the WBO and WBC 160lbs titles respectively held by Janibek Alimkhanuly and Carlos Adames. Alimkhanuly is regarded as the division’s finest fighter, and Sheeraz its most promising; Sheeraz’s promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry also revealed that he expects the vacant European title to be fought for by Denzel Bentley and Brad Pauls at Wembley Arena on December 7.
“Purse bids were between Denzel and Hamzah,” the promoter told BoxingScene. “That’s not happening. What’s happening now is this fight’s on, and we’ll ask Brad to go forwards. They’ll do it.
“Hamzah will fight for the world title next year. He’s number one in two organisations, and we’re working on it at the moment.
“It’ll be next week [when we have news]. We’ll see what happens [regarding a location]. Early next year.
“He’s had a brilliant year. He’ll be fighting for a world title.
“There’s a lot for [Bentley and Pauls] to aim for. Hamzah vacated the European title – Brad was the mandatory for that so we’re now applying for that to be on the line.”
Dubois had been expected to fight Joshua again, but Warren echoed Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn in insisting that that is no longer the plan.
“That ain’t gonna happen,” he said. “We’re looking for an opponent. We’re talking, and again, that, within the next seven-to-10 days, will be over the line. Once the contracts are signed we’ll make an announcement. There’s four fighters in the frame at the moment.
“I’d fancy [Dubois] to do the same thing next time [to Joshua] and maybe that’s how [Joshua] is. [Oleksandr Usyk and Andy Ruiz, who Joshua also had rematches with] didn’t do to him what he did. We’ll see in his next fight.”
Warren was then asked if he believed Joshua was resisting fighting Dubois again to preserve hopes of eventually fighting Tyson Fury, whose rematch with Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles is on December 21, and he responded: “If Tyson wins he’s not going to be able to fight [Joshua] unless he vacates all the belts, because none of the organisations will let a guy fight for a world title, coming off that last fight.
“I think people will buy it [regardless of Joshua losing to Dubois]. But it won’t happen unless he gets a win.”
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