Hamzah Sheeraz Vacates WBO Super Middleweight Title After Two Fights

Hamzah Sheeraz has walked away from his WBO super middleweight title almost as quickly as he picked it up.

Just two days after Queensberry Promotions won a purse bid for a mandatory defence against former middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly, the 24-year-old has vacated the belt. The WBO confirmed the decision in a statement, noting that Sheeraz and his team formally informed the sanctioning body they would not proceed.

It ends a reign that barely had time to take shape. Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KO) claimed the vacant strap on May 23 against Alem Begic, then turned around for a defence on July 25 against Simon Zachenhuber. Two fights, two wins, one world title reign that will be remembered more for the stage it appeared on than the substance of what happened with it.

The move, though, is rooted in boxing’s hard maths rather than romance.

Queensberry’s winning purse bid for the Janibek fight came in at just over $1 million. Sheeraz’s share would have been around $750,000. For a dangerous assignment against an elite, awkward southpaw with genuine power and championship pedigree, the reward simply didn’t match the risk. On the open market, against a more manageable opponent, Sheeraz can likely earn similar or better money while keeping control of his trajectory.

Janibek, on paper, would have been the toughest opponent Sheeraz has faced, perhaps alongside Carlos Adames, with whom Sheeraz battled to a disputed draw. This time, the unbeaten Londoner chose the business route over the glory route. In the current landscape, it’s hard to hammer him for it.

There’s another layer to the story. Janibek’s position as the WBO’s mandatory challenger at 168 lbs comes with heavy controversy. The Kazakh (17-0, 12 KO) failed a drug test last year, a result that saw the IBF strip him of their middleweight title. The WBO, however, did not follow suit, and he has remained in their good graces. Now, despite that cloud, he steps straight into mandatory status in a new division.

To many inside the sport, that appointment jars. A fighter stripped by one major body for a failed test now stands first in line for another’s world title at a higher weight. It’s the kind of inconsistency that keeps fuelling questions about how the sanctioning bodies apply their own rules.

Janibek hasn’t fought since April 2025, yet he now finds himself on the brink of another belt. With Sheeraz gone, the WBO super middleweight title becomes vacant again, and Alimkhanuly is expected to feature in the fight that fills it.

The queue behind him is not short. The WBO’s current rankings list Diego Pacheco in the No. 2 spot, followed by Jacob Bank, Kevin Sadjo, Armando Resendiz, Bektemir Melikuziev, Edgar Berlanga, Milorad Zizic, Hebert Sousa, and Bernardin Jakaj rounding out the top 10. From that group, a new dance partner will emerge.

So the belt moves on, quickly and quietly, from Sheeraz to the next storyline. He steps away with his unbeaten record intact, his market value high, and his options open. Janibek, meanwhile, stands on the brink of another title shot, his past still unresolved, his future at 168 about to be written.