Hamzah Sheeraz will fight Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title on Saturday night in Egypt, the main supporting bout on the Oleksandr Usyk–Rico Verhoeven undercard at the Pyramids of Giza.
Sheeraz, 26, said at Thursday’s final press conference that the chance feels like a dream and that, with trainer Andy Lee and his team behind him, he intends to make history; he added that the timing feels right and the stars are aligned for this to be his moment. Begic, 39, born and raised in Munich, countered by praising Sheeraz as a world-class talent but insisting Saturday will be the night he shines after years of work.
The numbers underline the stakes: Begic arrives unbeaten across 30 professional bouts and carries momentum from a run of three wins that secured him the WBO European super-middleweight title. That stretch included a wide unanimous decision over David Kerkmann in September 2024 — Kerkmann came into that fight 18-0. Sheeraz has size on his side at 6ft 3in to Begic’s 5ft 11in, and he enters off a super-middleweight debut victory over Edgar Berlanga after recent wins over southpaws Ammo Williams and Tyler Denny.
Context is simple and immediate: Sheeraz moved up to 168 pounds after fighting at super-welterweight and middleweight, saying the jump left him stronger and healthier. Begic earned this title shot the other way — years of steady accumulation, including the three-win run and the WBO European belt, produced his chance to contest a vacant world title on one of boxing’s highest-profile cards.
The tension comes from how different the paths to this night have been. Sheeraz’s raw tools and recent form are offset by earlier, underwhelming nights — notably against Bradley Skeete at super-welterweight and Carlos Adames at middleweight — that left questions about consistency. Begic is older, but his record is spotless and his résumé shows the kind of accumulation of rounds and victories that can unsettle bigger, younger opponents.
Begic repeatedly framed the matchup as validation for his work this year and the career that brought him to Giza; he told the press that while he recognizes Sheeraz’s ceiling and expects the younger man will be a world champion at some point, he believes Saturday is his personal moment to prove it. Sheeraz, for his part, leaned on his team and coach Andy Lee as the practical route to converting potential into a first world title.
What happens next hinges obviously on Saturday. A Sheeraz victory would not only hand him a world belt but also push him toward major super-middleweight showdowns tied to Christian Mbilli and Canelo Alvarez — the clear reward for winning a vacant WBO crown. A Begic upset would be one of the more remarkable late-career breakthroughs in the division, cementing the value of his unbeaten run and the WBO European path to title contention.
The fight at the Pyramids is therefore both a collision of styles and a crossroad in careers: Sheeraz’s size, youth and new home at super-middleweight against Begic’s unbeaten record and years of steady progress. Win or lose, the result will reshape the immediate landscape of the 168-pound division; for Sheeraz, Saturday is the clearest chance yet to turn promise into a ticket to the sport’s biggest names.
