Begic is almost 40 years senior and has a resume full of little-known dissents. This has led to skepticism as to whether the fight is actually intended to test Sheeraz at an elite level or simply move him closer to the front of Canelo’s line. Time is critical.

Canelo is scheduled to return in Riyad in September against undefeated WBC champion Christian Mbilli. If Alvarez wins and Sheeraz wins the WBO belt as expected, the ingredients for a major event in 2027 will be in place.

Sheeraz openly admitted in an interview last week that Alvarez remains a top target for him.

“A million%, a million%,” Sheeraz said in an interview with Ring Magazine when asked about a possible fight with Canelo Alvarez. “I always said he was someone I took a lot of inspiration from and looked up to.”

Sheeraz also admitted that Alvarez currently controls the super middleweight landscape.

“It’s up to him to decide every moment, but I think in about a year, God willing, everything goes according to plan, I’ll be in a position to be able to do it as well,” Sheeraz said.

The fight with Begic reinforced the belief that Sheeraz is currently being maneuvered more like a future attraction than a fighter who is still proving himself.

His knockout victory over Edgar Berlanga gained huge momentum earlier this year, but questions still remain open about his arduous performance against Carlos Adames and the moments he previously faced Austin “Ammo” Williams.

Instead of facing perilous rivals like Osleys Iglesias, Diego Pacheco, Lester Martinez and even Mbilli Sam Sheeraz is now one win away from becoming a world champion against a little-known veteran.

This didn’t stop trust from building around him. Sheeraz even predicted that Alvarez would stop Mbilli within six rounds in September.

“I believe he will knock out Mbilli in six rounds,” Sheeraz said of Canelo. “Style causes fights at the end of the day.”

This prediction could decide Sheeraz’s future.

If Canelo loses a second straight fight after last year’s loss to Terence Crawford, the commercial value of the Sheeraz-Alvarez fight will change dramatically. The fight in which Sheeraz will face Alvarez, who is already fading after back-to-back defeats, will be associated with completely different feelings than a fight against the still energetic super middleweight king in the sport.

Sheeraz seems to be in an ideal position. All he might need is a win over Begic and a Canelo win over Mbilla for the path to become very real.

Errol Spence Jr will end three years of inactivity in July when he faces Tim Tszyu in Australia.

The main event will be the first time Spence bounces back from defeatafter a final loss to Terence Crawford in 2023 for the undisputed welterweight title.

Due to the nature of this loss and past injuries, many believed Spence’s time as a player was over and expected a retirement announcement rather than confirmation of a return.

Despite concerns that he would no longer be the same elite fighter – a concern Spence admitted he shares – the former unified champion was preparing for an even tougher test than Tszyu.

A conversation with former opponent Shawn Porter FOX SportsSpence confirmed that the long-rumored clash with Sebastian Fundora is at the top of his hit list.

“[Tszyu] wasn’t the best I could get. I’m not crazy, but I’m not ruling anything out. So I looked at Fundora, I looked at the top names.

“I’m the type of guy who really doesn’t believe in ring rust. If I look good in the gym for nine, 10 weeks, why can’t I look good in a fight? It’s a mental thing… I feel like coming to fight night and showing everyone that ring rust doesn’t exist. It doesn’t concern me at all.

WBC super welterweight champion Fundora has been openly discussing a fight with Spence, and several rumors have come and gone over the past twelve months. Instead, “The Towering Inferno” faced Keith Thurman in March, retaining the belt until a sixth-round stoppage.

If Spence beats Tszyu and looks good doing it, he may want to re-enter the talks. His return will be set at a catchweight of 158 pounds with the possibility of dropping to 154 pounds.

The fight gave Muratalla credibility to defeat one of the best technicians in the lightweight division. He also showed how hard life at an elite level could become for him. Cruz landed multiple times during exchanges and forced Muratalla into a grueling fight that could take something out of the lightweight division over time.

Muratalla became the IBF champion after passing Vasily Lomachenko earlier this year. Lomachenko’s promotional contract with Top Rank officially expired this week, leaving the former three-division champion free to pursue outside fights if he decides to return.

Tuesday’s reports indicated that Lomachenko was considering a return at age 38 and would only return for a earnest fight.

One possibility the official mentioned was a fight against Muratalla, who immediately became the biggest name in the champion’s history.

There has been talk of a fight between Muratalla and Shakur Stevenson before, but no earnest talks took place until Stevenson moved up to 140 pounds earlier this year.

The IBF rankings leave several possible destinations for Muratalla’s return in August, including Albert Bell, Lucas Bahdi and Floyd Schofield Jr.

Meanwhile, Andy Cruz is reportedly being considered for another elimination fight, raising the possibility that Muratalla will eventually have to face the Cuban again if both fighters continue to win.

The uncertainty surrounding Gervonta Davis also left an open question in the lightweight division. Davis hasn’t fought since March 2025 and is reported to be aiming to return to fighting in the early fall while also dealing with legal issues in Florida.

This inaction has left fighters like Muratalla trying to take control of the division while the biggest names remain in uncertainty. August 8 may look like a homecoming date on paper, but Muratalla still has a ways to go before fans fully accept him as the man who replaced Lomachenko rather than a fighter who simply inherited the belt.