Hamzah Sheeraz spent years trying to become a world champion. Less than four months after finally getting there, he gave the belt back.
The unbeaten Brit officially vacated his WBO super-middleweight title on 18 September rather than go ahead with an ordered mandatory defence against Janibek Alimkhanuly. His promoter Queensberry had actually won the purse bid for the fight only days earlier, so the decision was not caused by another promoter taking control of the event.
Instead, Sheeraz had already made it very clear that he strongly disagreed with Alimkhanuly being installed as his mandatory challenger following the Kazakh’s previous failed drug test.
There was also money involved.
And with Sheeraz targeting considerably bigger fights at 168lb, particularly a future meeting with Canelo Alvarez, giving up the title may completely change what his next year looks like.
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Why Did Hamzah Sheeraz Give Up the WBO Belt?
The short answer is that Sheeraz chose not to face Janibek Alimkhanuly under the terms of the WBO mandatory.
The WBO ordered Sheeraz to defend against Alimkhanuly after the former middleweight champion moved up to super-middleweight. Sheeraz had a major problem with that decision.
Alimkhanuly had previously tested positive for meldonium. The IBF stripped him of its middleweight championship, while the WBO’s handling of the situation was different, and Alimkhanuly later moved up to 168lb and was installed as Sheeraz’s mandatory challenger.
Sheeraz publicly called the WBO’s decision “disgraceful” and questioned why a fighter who had failed a drugs test was effectively being rewarded with a direct route into another world-title fight. He even used the word “corruption” when discussing how the decision had been made.
So his eventual decision to walk away from the belt did not arrive out of nowhere. He had been warning that it could happen for weeks.
How Did Sheeraz Become WBO Champion?
Sheeraz moved into the super-middleweight division after drawing with Carlos Adames at middleweight in 2025. The switch immediately changed his career.
He stopped Edgar Berlanga before going on to claim the vacant WBO super-middleweight championship against Alem Begic in May 2026, finishing the fight in the second round.
His first defence came in July against Simon Zachenhuber. That night was much tougher.
Zachenhuber made Sheeraz work across the distance before the champion eventually came away with a majority-decision victory.
The result took Sheeraz to 24-0-1 with 19 knockouts and appeared to set up a much bigger second half of the year.
Instead, the mandatory situation took over.
Our report on Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga covered Sheeraz’s first title defence on that card.
Why Was Janibek Alimkhanuly Made Mandatory Challenger?
This is the part that caused most of the controversy. Alimkhanuly had previously held world titles at middleweight before deciding to move up to 168lb.
The WBO then selected him as mandatory challenger to Sheeraz, formally ordering negotiations between the two camps in August.
That decision came after Alimkhanuly’s failed test for meldonium.
Sheeraz’s issue was not really with Alimkhanuly being a dangerous opponent. The Kazakh is undefeated and has been one of the strongest middleweights of recent years.
His complaint was about how Alimkhanuly had been allowed to move directly into mandatory position after the doping case.
That distinction matters. Representatives of Alimkhanuly have since accused Sheeraz of avoiding the fight because he was afraid of the challenger.
That is their allegation, not an established reason for Sheeraz vacating.
Sheeraz’s public explanation has centred on the WBO’s handling of Alimkhanuly and the terms surrounding the mandatory fight.
For anyone wondering why different organisations can make different decisions around belts and mandatory challengers, our guide to the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO explains how boxing’s four major governing bodies work.
How Much Would Hamzah Sheeraz Have Earned Against Janibek?
Money also became part of the story. Queensberry and Top Rank initially failed to agree terms, sending the fight to a purse bid.
Queensberry won with a bid of $1,001,809, beating Top Rank’s offer of $850,000.
As defending champion, Sheeraz was entitled to 75% of the winning bid.
That works out at a little over $750,000 before deductions.
For most fighters, that is serious money. Sheeraz is not in the position of most fighters anymore.
He has developed into one of Britain’s biggest young boxing names and has openly discussed pursuing events worth considerably more than a mandatory defence against Janibek.
Before the purse bid even took place, Sheeraz had hinted that the financial side could influence whether he accepted the fight.
That does not mean money was the only reason he vacated.
It does help explain why giving up the belt was a realistic option rather than an unthinkable one.
Is Hamzah Sheeraz Still a World Champion?
No. Once Sheeraz voluntarily relinquished the WBO title, his reign officially ended.
He had held the belt from May until September 2026 and made one successful defence.
That leaves him without a recognised world championship for the first time since beating Begic.
It does not change his undefeated professional record.
It also does not stop him competing for another governing body’s title or challenging for the WBO belt again later.
A fighter does not have to hold a championship to remain one of the leading names in a division.
Sheeraz has effectively traded the obligation attached to the WBO belt for greater freedom over what he does next.
Whether that eventually proves worthwhile will depend on which fight he lands.
What Happens to the Vacant WBO Title?
The WBO has already moved on.
On 22 September, the organisation ordered Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Jacob Bank for the vacant super-middleweight championship.
The camps were given 15 days to reach an agreement before the contest could head to another purse bid.
Diego Pacheco had been ranked above Bank, but he is heading towards a November fight with Darius Fulghum instead.
That left Bank as the first available contender.
So unless something changes during negotiations, the next WBO super-middleweight champion will come from Alimkhanuly vs Bank.
Sheeraz is no longer involved.
Who Will Hamzah Sheeraz Fight Next?
At the time of writing, Hamzah Sheeraz’s next fight has not been officially announced. That is now the big question.
Giving up the WBO championship only makes sense strategically if Sheeraz can use the freedom to secure something worthwhile.
There are several possible directions. A major domestic contest could be attractive.
Callum Simpson has previously talked about facing Sheeraz in a British stadium fight, although those comments came while Sheeraz still held the WBO belt.
There are also other world champions at super-middleweight. But one particular name keeps coming up. Canelo Alvarez.
Could Hamzah Sheeraz Fight Canelo Alvarez?
That is clearly the fight Sheeraz wants. He has repeatedly spoken about facing Canelo in 2027 and had hoped to build towards a huge super-middleweight showdown.
Canelo has his own business to handle first.
He is currently scheduled to challenge Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight title on 31 October in Riyadh. Our Canelo Alvarez next fight guide has the latest details on that contest.
Sheeraz has predicted Canelo will win.
A Canelo victory would naturally make the Mexican an even more attractive target for everyone around the top of the division.
There is no agreement for Canelo vs Sheeraz. There is not even a guarantee that Canelo would choose him.
In fact, Canelo previously suggested that Sheeraz should fight IBF champion Osleys Iglesias first and prove he deserves the opportunity.
Giving up the WBO belt removes one possible selling point from Sheeraz’s side.
It also means he no longer has a mandatory challenger controlling his schedule. There is a trade-off.
Did Sheeraz Vacate Because He Was Scared of Janibek?
That has been claimed by Alimkhanuly’s camp. It should not be presented as fact.
Janibek’s manager Egis Klimas openly accused Sheeraz of being afraid after news of the vacancy emerged. Sheeraz has given a different explanation.
He had criticised the WBO’s decision for weeks, objected to Janibek’s mandatory status following the doping case and had already suggested that the financial terms of the fight would matter.
Nobody outside Sheeraz’s team can prove exactly how much weight each factor carried.
What we do know is that Queensberry won the purse bid, Sheeraz still decided not to proceed and the WBO formally accepted his decision to vacate.
Everything beyond that needs to be treated as interpretation.
Was Vacating the Belt a Risk?
Absolutely. World titles are difficult to win.
Walking away from one means Sheeraz has given up a guaranteed championship position without another major fight publicly confirmed.
If Canelo chooses somebody else, or another title opportunity does not appear, Sheeraz may find himself having to work back towards a belt he already owned.
There is another side to it. Mandatory defences can lock champions into fights that offer less money or less commercial value than alternatives.
Sheeraz has decided that being tied to Janibek under the WBO’s terms is not the route he wants.
At 27 and still undefeated, he has time to make that gamble. He now needs the next move to justify it.
What Happens Next for Hamzah Sheeraz?
For the moment, Sheeraz waits. He is 24-0-1, still one of Britain’s leading super-middleweights and no longer tied to a WBO mandatory defence.
The belt has moved on. His ambition has not.
A Canelo fight remains the obvious long-term target, but there may need to be another major bout before that becomes realistic.
That could be another world champion. It could be a domestic stadium fight.
It could simply be the opponent who puts Sheeraz back into the strongest negotiating position.
Vacating a world championship is always going to attract criticism.
Whether this turns out to be a mistake or the move that opens the door to a much bigger fight will depend entirely on what Sheeraz does next.
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