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Caleb Plant targets Hamzah Sheeraz despite the slip

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Image: Caleb Plant Targets Hamzah Sheeraz Despite Recent Slide

Plant (23-3, 14 KO) has lost three of his last five fights since 2021 and will have gone a full year without a fight by May. The victories in this stretch went to the aging Anthony Dirrell and Trevor McCumby, who did little to maintain their position.

The 33-year-old Plant is no longer talked about as part of the top super middleweight division he once was, and the momentum that led him to fight Canelo has waned.

If the goal is to maintain Sheeraz’s momentum toward a massive payday like the Canelo or Crawford fights Turki Alalshikh teased for behind schedule 2026, Plant is the best “secure” name.

Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KO) is heading in the opposite direction. Edgar Berlanga’s stoppage pushed him into a 168-pound title fight, and now he’s been ordered to fight Al Begic for the vacant WBO belt, with his name at the top of the rankings. The focus, at least publicly, is on the title track, not on voluntary fights.

The reality is that Plant has become a bit of a “brand guardian”. He has enough pedigree to make the win look impressive on paper, but his actual win-loss record against top-shelf talent is slim. His stock took a huge hit in May 2025 when he lost a split decision to Armando Resendiz. This fight was widely considered to be a major upset.

Plant brings the value of his name and pedigree from previous championships, but without the same level of threat as some of the more consistent fighters in the division. Fighters like Christian Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias and Lester Martinez represent a tougher night, built on consistent performance and pressure that Sheeraz has yet to face throughout the fight.

Much like the Berlanga fight, Plant offers a high-profile target with a style that Sheeraz is physically prepared to dismantle. Sheeraz proved he could handle what many fans considered a “shit job” by going through Berlanga in five rounds; The plant offers greater technical ability, but at this stage much less durability.

“I think he’s a good fighter,” Plant said of Sheeraz. “I think he hits strenuous, I think he has a lot of heart, but I saw some things in his game that I can employ.”

There are other routes Sheeraz could go down. A second fight with Carlos Adames would have its charm after the reaction to their first meeting in Riyad, where many felt the result should have been a win for Adames.

With Adames drawing, Sheeraz’s team will likely look for an opponent who is technically proficient enough to look “risky” but physically weakens enough to warrant a stoppage.

With Diego Pacheco recently withdrawing from his booked WBO title fight against Sheeraz to focus on a fresh trainer, the path is wide open for a “substantial name” volunteer. Plant fits the Riyad Season model perfectly: a recognizable American face who can be marketed as a “former world champion” to facilitate build the Sheeraz brand in the US

Looking at Plant’s recent form, it’s strenuous to see him as anything more than a strategic springboard for Hamzah. He hasn’t had a truly dominant victory over an elite, major opponent in years, and at age 33, his best days are clearly in the rearview.

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Shakur Wants to ‘Get Eight Pounds’

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Image: J Prince Says Shakur Stevenson Willing To “Take Eight Pounds” For Devin Haney

“Well, you never know. You know what I mean? I think he can make that weight if he wants to,” Prince told Fighthype about the fight between Shakur and Haney.

“But like I told him, Shakur weighs 135 pounds. They weigh 147. So out of 12 pounds, we’re willing to take eight. We’re not even saying we’ll meet halfway.”

“So you never know. I don’t count them because certain numbers often change a person’s mind, right? You never know.”

Prince also said there are ongoing discussions about Stevenson fighting next after recently winning the WBO 140-pound welterweight title.

“It’s up in the air. We’re regrouping. We’re planning again and people will know about it very soon,” Prince said.

Shakur moved up earlier this year and defeated Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO 140-pound title. Stevenson already held titles in three weight classes before moving up to 140.

Haney continued competing at welterweight after moving up from 140 pounds following fights against Ryan Garcia, Brian Norman Jr. and Mario Barrios.

Prince also mentioned undefeated lightweight title challenger Abdullah Mason, who returns to his hometown of Cleveland this month.

“I’m excited, first of all, that Abdullah Mason is fighting at home,” Prince said.

“I have a long history with Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, the entire Midwest was one of the first to embrace my Rap-A-Lot movement.

“They should be really proud of their child.”

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Tony Bellew explains why Fabio Wardley was right not to throw in the towel against Dubois

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Tony Bellew explains why Fabio Wardley’s corner were right not to throw in the towel against Dubois

After Saturday’s heavyweight classic, one of the key topics of conversation was whether Fabio Wardley’s corner should have pulled his man out earlier, and former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew shared his view on the matter.

Wardley defended his WBO heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois, but despite two early knockdowns starting in the seventh round, it quickly became clear that the champion was fading.

With Dubois attacking and attacking, the once even fight slowly became one-sided, and after two doctor checks and continued attacking, referee Howard Foster finally intervened in round 11.

While many viewers questioned whether manager Ben Davison should have saved Wardley from an unnecessary penalty, Bellew defended the coach during a TV interview Fight Your Corner Podcast.

“I’m not like many others. I don’t think it should have been stopped earlier. I think the referee did a great job. I don’t think the towel should have been thrown in earlier for the straightforward reason that Fabio Wardley has already shown on many occasions, that he never takes him out of a fight.

“Even if he’s miles behind, even if he’s been injured in a fight, he can pull his hand out of the bag at any time, and for that reason alone, that’s why he should have been allowed to continue playing.

“This is the reason why players like Arturo Gatti were able to continue playing against players like Micky Ward. With his neck up against the ropes and getting punched in the face regularly and Frank Cappuccino [referee] let’s leave it alone, it’s because of the history it has. So they allowed this fight to continue and in my opinion they were right.

“You’ll never make fights truly magical unless you allow the carnage to unfold.”

After a precautionary check-up at a nearby hospital, it was confirmed that Wardley was not seriously injured in the fight. The Ipswich fan favorite could now act his rematch clause and will try to take revenge for the first defeat in his professional career, becoming a two-time heavyweight ruler.

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Bobby Has escaped disaster time and time again – then cancer changed his face

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Former world champion Bobby Czyz pictured during his boxing career alongside recent photos taken during his cancer recovery.

Former two-division world champion Bobby Czyz has spent most of his life somehow coping with situations that could easily have killed him.

Now, at the age of 63, Czyz faces another brutal battle after being diagnosed with aggressive squamous cell cancer of his right nostril and neck.

The surgeries necessary to remove the cancer left the former boxing star with a severe facial disfigurement and extensive scarring on his face and nose.

Photos shared publicly by Czyż during his recovery surprised many boxing fans, who remembered him as one of the toughest champions of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s.

But even now, the Novel Jersey striker still sounds like a fighter.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Czyż wrote under one of the restoration photos. “We can all rise up.”

This mentality accompanied him through almost every stage of his life.

Bobby Czyz has avoided disaster time and time again

Long before winning the world title, Czyz narrowly avoided one of boxing’s darkest tragedies.

In 1980, members of the United States amateur boxing team died on board Polish Airlines LOT 007 in a crash near Warsaw.

Was it supposed to be part of the trip? He only avoided boarding the plane because he was recovering from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Escape has become one of the defining “what if?” moments of his life.

Czyz eventually turned professional and became a two-weight world champion, winning the IBF delicate heavyweight title and later winning the WBA cruiserweight crown.

Known as “The Matinee Idol,” Czyż (44-8, 28 KO) fought in the ring with names such as Evander Holyfield, Virgil Hill, Charles Williams and Corrie Sanders in an era full of threatening fighters.

But the punishment in the ropes wasn’t the only trauma he experienced.

In 2007, Czyz was rescued from a burning vehicle after another terrible car accident, which left him with sedate facial injuries.

Now, almost two decades later, cancer has forced him to fight again.

thewhatsnextkid | IG

The boxing world is rooting for Bobby Czyż

Friends and figures from the boxing world have already begun to rally around the former champion as he continues his rehabilitation.

Nick Furris wrote: “Good friend, boxing icon and three-time champion Bobby Czyż will fight the biggest fight of his life.

“Out of nowhere, Bobby was diagnosed with nose and neck cancer.

“I spoke to him today and he is in good spirits after the surgery, but he has a long road ahead of him.

“For those who have seen him fight or know him, please take a moment and say a prayer. Knowing Bobby, if there is one SOB who can beat ‘C’, it will be him.”

In 2026, Czyz explained her cancer discovery in an interview with The What’s Next Kid (thewhatsnextkid) on Instagram.

He said: “One morning I woke up with a lump in my nose. The doctors said it was a polyp with cancer.

“Now I have to go through all these surgeries to try and look even remotely cute again.”

For many boxing fans, images of Czyz barely resemble the fighter they watched during his championship years.

But the mindset still is.

After surviving boxing, a plane crash, devastating crashes and now cancer surgery, Bobby Czyz is still trying to rise again.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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