British boxer Hamzah Sheeraz is preparing for his move to the super-middleweight division, with his debut bout scheduled against Edgar Berlanga in July. Ahead of this significant fight, the tall Briton has received a positive placement in the latest World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings for his new weight class, entering at number 9.
Given his large frame for a middleweight, it was widely anticipated that Sheeraz, holding a record of 21 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw, with 17 knockouts, would eventually need to transition from 160lbs. He had been aiming for a world title opportunity at middleweight before this inevitable move. However, his chance at a middleweight world title resulted in a contentious draw against Carlos Adames. This less-than-ideal performance seemingly solidified his decision to leave the division and explore opportunities at 168lbs.
His initial fight at super-middleweight against Edgar Berlanga is set to be a WBC title eliminator, positioning the winner for a potential challenge against undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. The recent ranking update confirms Sheeraz`s standing at #9 in the WBC super-middleweight world ratings.
Elsewhere in British boxing, Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) saw his ranking improve following his majority-decision victory over Lyndon Arthur in their trilogy fight two weeks prior on the Eubank-Benn undercard. Yarde advanced from #9 to #5 in the light-heavyweight division, moving closer to a third shot at world honors.
Also featured on that card, Viddal Riley (13-0, 7 KOs) secured the British cruiserweight title by outpointing Chev Clarke. This performance earned Riley a place in the world rankings, entering at #15. Meanwhile, Ireland`s Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) delivered a dominant performance against Liam Smith and consequently entered the WBC middleweight ratings at number 9.
Beyond the UK and Ireland, the WBC`s decision to rank Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) at number 5 in their welterweight standings has drawn criticism. This ranking comes amidst strong rumors of his return to challenge WBC champion Mario Barrios, despite `Pac-Man` not having secured a professional win in the current decade.
These updated rankings appear to lend weight to the rumors, suggesting a potential fight between Barrios and the 46-year-old Pacquiao on July 19th in Las Vegas for the WBC welterweight title. Should the fight happen, Pacquiao would be attempting to surpass his own record as the oldest welterweight champion in history.
