Former world title challenger Spencer Oliver believes Hamzah Sheeraz would beat Canelo Alvarez if the two meet next year, arguing that age and timing are beginning to work against the Mexican star.
Sheeraz captured the WBO super middleweight title last Saturday with a dominant win over Alem Begic, immediately creating fresh discussion about a future showdown with Canelo. During a boxing discussion this week, Oliver said he would favor Sheeraz if the fight were staged in England.
“My money would be on Hamzah to beat him,” said Oliver to talkSport Boxing. “I think when you look at there is a decline with Canelo Alvarez. I think we have seen that. The punch output now, he loads up with every single shot and everything else. Hamzah Sheeraz is going through.
“I think when and if that fight gets made, every month that goes by is going more in favor of Hamzah Sheeraz. And I think it’s all about timing this game. I think that may happen. Sheeraz wins that.”
Oliver was not alone in backing Sheeraz. The panel discussion centered on whether Canelo is entering the final stage of his career and whether younger fighters are arriving at the right moment.
A fight between Sheeraz and Canelo remains speculative. Canelo is scheduled to defend his super middleweight championship against Christian Mbilli on September 12, while Sheeraz is expected to begin exploring his options as a newly crowned world champion.
The September fight could answer some of the questions Oliver raised. Canelo has won several of his recent bouts, but critics have pointed to periods of lower activity in the second half of fights against opponents such as Dmitry Bivol, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jaime Munguia, Edgar Berlanga, and Terence Crawford.
If Canelo defeats Mbilli convincingly, calls for a Sheeraz showdown will likely grow louder. If he struggles or loses, the conversation could look very different by the end of the year.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/29 at 11:03 AM
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