Hamzah Sheeraz's left hook found its mark in the second round, and 39-year-old Alem Begic crumpled to the canvas in Cairo, unable to answer the referee's count. With that knockout came Sheeraz's first world title—the vacant WBO super-middleweight crown—and a 26-year-old Londoner's arrival on boxing's brightest stage.
The fight itself was less a contest than a masterclass. From the opening bell, the gulf between the two fighters was unmistakable. Sheeraz, fresh off a career-best stoppage against Edgar Berlanga last summer, controlled the centre of the ring with surgical precision, snapping sharp straight jabs and mixing in heavy hooks to the body. His trainer Andy Lee offered simple encouragement from the corner: "Great starting round." Begic, arriving with a record of 29 wins and one draw, had no answer to Sheeraz's accuracy or his relentless forward pressure. The German fighter was out of his depth, offering only passive resistance before the left hook to the body sent him down for good.
After the referee waved off the fight, Sheeraz's words were measured and confident. "It was simple," he said. "I saw he was very negative from when I landed the first punch. After that it was about walking him down and getting out of there. That is what we've done." The performance announced him not just to the Egyptian crowd, but to the wider boxing world—and crucially, to the man who mattered most that night: Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, watching ringside.
Sheeraz now stands one step closer to a dream matchup with the Mexican superstar, potentially scheduled for 2027. Alvarez himself is set to return to the ring on 12 September in Riyadh against WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli. For Sheeraz, the path is clear. "There is boxing royalty ringside and I want to follow in their footsteps," he said. "I am beating whoever is in front of me. I believe he is one of the goats of boxing—to share the ring with him would be an honour. If I got the opportunity I would get the win for sure."
The moment was made even more dramatic by its setting. Sheeraz's rise came on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk's world title defence against Rico Verhoeven, with the ancient pyramids of Giza providing a striking backdrop to his ascent into world championship ranks. It was a stage befitting a fighter who has steadily progressed into one of British boxing's most improved operators.
The road to this crown was not without setbacks. Sheeraz had fallen short in his previous world title attempt at middleweight, but at super-middleweight, he has appeared far more comfortable and dominant. Now that he holds the WBO belt, other unification options beckon—Jaime Munguia holds the WBA belt and Osleys Iglesias the IBF title. But first, Sheeraz has already made his ambition clear: to prove himself among the elite 168-pounders and, if fortune smiles, to one day share the ring with the greatest of this generation.