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.

Hamzah Sheeraz dropped Edgar Berlanga twice before finishing the job with a 5th round TKO in the main event of Ring Magazine 3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Saturday night.