One fight after a disappointing performance in a middleweight title shot against Carlos Adames that ended via a heavily disputed draw, Hamzah Sheeraz made a spectacular statement in his 168-pound debut on Saturday.

Boxing financier Turki Alalshikh previously named Sheeraz — an ambassador for Alalshikh's Riyadh Season efforts — alongside Chris Eubank Jr. as the front-runners to face Alvarez in 2026 after Alvarez's blockbuster Sept. 13 undisputed title fight with fellow pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford.

The Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz match will take place at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York City on Saturday, July 12. The broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). The Berlanga-Sheeraz main event will end the night four hours later, at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT).