Hamzah Sheeraz Stops Alem Begic to Win Vacant WBO Super-Middleweight Title
His second-round stoppage in Egypt positions him to pursue unification fights with the division’s top names.
Overview
- Sheeraz, 26, stopped Alem Begic with a left hook to the body in the second round on Saturday to claim the vacant WBO super-middleweight title on the Usyk–Verhoeven undercard in Giza.
- Begic, 39, was sent to the canvas by the body shot, failed to beat the count and the referee waved the fight off after a brief recovery attempt.
- The WBO belt had been vacant after Terence Crawford relinquished it, opening a path for a new champion at 168 pounds.
- Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez watched ringside and Sheeraz publicly called for big-name 168lb fights, with Canelo’s return to the ring scheduled for September in Riyadh noted as a possible future matchup.
- Sheeraz’s win is his first world title after a prior failed middleweight title bid and it creates clear unification options against WBA holder Jaime Munguia or IBF holder Osleys Iglesias if negotiations move forward.