Hamzah Sheeraz is eagerly anticipating his opportunity to challenge British middleweight champion, Denzel Bentley. The highly anticipated bout is expected to take place in December, provided Sheeraz successfully makes his comeback on September 2.
In his last fight, Sheeraz delivered an impressive performance, securing the vacant Commonwealth title with a dominant victory over River Wilson-Bent in November. However, his triumph was followed by hand surgery, necessitating a recovery period of around 3-4 months.
Initially, Sheeraz was scheduled to return to the ring in July, slated to fight on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois matchup. Unfortunately, a change of plans occurred when Frank Warren lost the purse bid for the Usyk-Dubois fight. Consequently, Sheeraz's fight was rescheduled, and he was shifted to the undercard of Joe Joyce's rematch with Zhilei Zhang on September 2.
These date changes forced Sheeraz to interrupt his training camp in Los Angeles with his coach, Ricky Funez. He had to return to London to avoid any complications with US authorities. Sheeraz had already resumed training after recovering from his hand injury, originally anticipating a fight in July. However, subsequent rescheduling pushed the bout to August and eventually September 2.
Sheeraz is now preparing to return to Los Angeles this week, where he will continue his training camp with Funez. The middleweight fighter has grown accustomed to the training routine and partnership with Funez. While he currently lacks the financial means to purchase a house in LA, he is content with staying in Air BnBs and aspires to one day upgrade to a lavish mansion in the prestigious Beverly Hills area.
Realizing that the fight against Bentley has the potential to be the most lucrative of his career, Sheeraz understands the significance of the September matchup as a stepping stone towards the highly anticipated December bout. Expressing his desire for the December fight, Sheeraz confirms that both he and Bentley have voiced their interest, and the final decision rests with their respective managers and promoter, Frank Warren.
Sheeraz was ringside at the Copper Box in April when Bentley swiftly dispatched Kieran Smith in just 45 seconds. Following that encounter, both fighters verbally agreed to face each other. The British Boxing Board of Control has subsequently ordered Bentley to defend his British title against Sheeraz. They have until July 12 to negotiate a deal before a purse bid is initiated. Given that both fighters are promoted by Frank Warren, it is expected that they will reach an agreement within the specified timeframe.
Highlighting their prominence in the British middleweight division, Sheeraz believes that this fight will determine the true number one in the weight class. The public demand for the matchup serves as motivation, shifting Sheeraz's mindset from questioning the necessity of the fight to accepting it as an inevitable clash. While Sheeraz and Bentley sparred together in the past when Sheeraz turned professional at the age of 18, Sheeraz acknowledges that both fighters have evolved significantly since then. Although there was no animosity initially, the mounting anticipation surrounding the fight may gradually foster a competitive rivalry as both fighters strive to protect their reputations and livelihoods.
Beatrice Adamu is a writer for AceTVBoxing.com. She can be reached on Twitter @oh_stillbella or via email: adamubeatrice13@gmail.com.
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