Hamzah Sheeraz Vacates WBO Super Middleweight Title After Two Days
Hamzah Sheeraz has walked away from his WBO super middleweight title almost as quickly as he claimed it, stepping aside just two days after Queensberry Promotions won the purse bid for a mandatory defence against Janibek Alimkhanuly.
The WBO confirmed the decision in a statement, revealing that Sheeraz and his team had formally notified the organisation that he would be vacating the belt.
It ends a world title reign that barely had time to take shape. Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KO) picked up the vacant strap on May 23 by beating Alem Begic, then turned it back in a first defence against Simon Zachenhuber on July 25. Two fights, both tucked onto major event undercards, and the belt is gone almost before the ink on the rankings could dry.
Forgettable on paper, yes. But in the ruthless economics of modern boxing, his move makes a cold kind of sense.
Queensberry’s winning bid for the Janibek fight came in at just over $1 million. As champion, Sheeraz stood to collect in the region of $750,000. For a young, unbeaten fighter still building his profile, that’s solid money. It is not, however, life-changing when weighed against the risk and the alternatives.
Janibek is a serious assignment. On paper, he’s a far tougher proposition than anyone Sheeraz has faced outside of perhaps Carlos Adames, with whom Sheeraz battled to a disputed draw. The Kazakh southpaw brings awkward angles, heavy hands and a pedigree that makes matchmakers twitch. There are easier nights out there for similar or even better paydays.
And there is the stench around how Janibek arrived at this position in the first place.
The WBO appointed Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KO) as mandatory challenger at super middleweight despite his failed drug test last year, a result that led the IBF to strip him of their middleweight title. The WBO, pointedly, did not follow suit. He has not boxed since April 2025, yet now finds himself in line to fight for another vacant belt.
For Sheeraz, the equation is stark. Take on a high-risk, high-controversy opponent for a fixed purse, or move on, keep the “0,” and chase bigger, cleaner opportunities elsewhere. He and his team chose the latter.
The decision now clears the path for Janibek to fight for the vacant WBO super middleweight title, with the Kazakh sitting at No. 1 in the organisation’s rankings. Behind him, the queue is already formed: Diego Pacheco, Jacob Bank, Kevin Sadjo, Armando Resendiz, Bektemir Melikuziev, Edgar Berlanga, Milorad Zizic, Hebert Sousa, and Bernardin Jakaj complete the current top 10.
Somewhere in that list lies his next opponent. Somewhere outside it, Sheeraz will be plotting his own route, belt or no belt, in a sport where the right move is rarely the most romantic one, but often the one that keeps a career alive.
