Even with his undefeated record still intact, Hamzah Sheeraz felt like anything but a perfect fighter after his last outing.
A red-hot middleweight contender who had stopped his last 15 opponents entering 2025, the hard-hitting Englishman went into isolation after his disappointing draw with WBC titlist Carlos Adames. Most observers felt Sheeraz, 21-0-1 (17 KOs), was fortunate to have not endured his first career defeat in their February 22 title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Still, the night was enough of a wake-up call to prompt the 25-year-old fighter to make sweeping changes as he enters the prime of his career.
“If I don’t learn from this, I’m screwed,” Sheeraz told DAZN while on hand for the Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn event in North London. “It’s as simple as that. I believe in myself and identified what went wrong.
“If I didn’t, it would be an issue. I’m in a good head space. I’ve only got, like, four people around me now. [The draw with Adames] matured me a lot. It’s made me realize the harsh realities of boxing and life itself. The main thing is just to learn from it and move forward.”
Among the newly isolated group is Andy Lee, the former WBO middleweight titlist who is now Sheeraz’s head trainer. Sheeraz confirmed the move earlier in the month in his first comments since the Adames letdown, a fight that was designed to be a breakout night for Sheeraz.
Instead, he escaped with a split decision draw on a night that would be his last with longtime trainer Ricky Funez.
“This is the first time I’m in a boxing environment since that fight,” Sheeraz admitted. “I was in a dark place for a little bit, but I got out of it. I’m better. I felt like I needed [the personnel change]. Nobody’s to blame but me as the fighter.
“After sitting down with my team after the last fight, we identified the necessary changes I had to make. Changes meant getting rid of 80 percent of the people around me. We chose Andy Lee as a trainer. I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”
As for what’s next, Sheeraz would only confirm that he’s now fighting at super middleweight.
“The decision was about three fights ago,” Sheeraz joked. “I was in a position where I was on the way to fight for a world title at 160. I was able to cover up the fact how hard the weight was by getting the early knockouts.
“I put my hands up, it was my own decision to stay at 160. Now I’m at 168.”
He was coy when pressed to confirm rumors of a summertime collision with fellow former title challenger Edgar Berlanga, 23-1 (18 KOs).
The two are rumored to be headlining a July 12 show in New York City, which would mark Sheeraz’s US debut. He had trained in Southern California under Funez but has fought almost exclusively in England, save for two bouts in Riyadh and one in Poland.
“If the rumors are true, what a great fight. I’m in the era of boxing where the best fight the best,” noted Sheeraz. “Very few fighters do as they say. I said after my last fight, put me in a big fight at 168 and see what I will do.”
